Two Long Beach men were arrested Friday, July 26, after they were indicted by a grand jury on charges related to the sale of fentanyl and methamphetamine out of a purported auto upholstery shop in unincorporated Los Angeles County near Gardena, authorities said.
Hector Valle, 48, and Efren Sanchez, 52, were charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine and with being felons in possession of firearms, Ciaran McEvoy, spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, said.
Valle faces additional charges of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, McEvoy said.
Federal authorities allege that from at least May 18, 2023 to June 14, 2023, the two men talked with a confidential informant working for law enforcement who posed as a potential buyer and eventually sold the informant 433 grams of methamphetamine and nearly 50 grams of fentanyl out of an auto upholstery shop called “Stitchn’ Time,” in the 16900 block of Broadway, according to the indictment filed with the case.
During search warrants executed at three undisclosed locations, law enforcement seized more than 31 pounds of fentanyl, about 424 grams of methamphetamine and about 675 grams of cocaine.
Authorities also found six firearms, more than 100 rounds of ammunition and $21,700 in cash, McEvoy said.
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At the upholstery shop, where Valle worked, law enforcement found several packages of fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine stowed away in a vending machine, McEvoy said.
“Those who traffic in fentanyl are well aware that they are profiting by putting others at risk,” U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said in a statement. “It’s important that those bad actors be held accountable.”
Valle’s criminal history included convictions for grand theft, possession of marijuana for sale, possession of a firearm by a felon and possession of a controlled substance, according to the indictment. Sanchez had prior convictions for assault with a firearm, second degree burglary, criminal threats, forgery and transporting a controlled substance.
If convicted, the two men could face as little as 10 years and as much as life in state prison, McEvoy said.