Albert Anthony Rios, 32, from the District of Columbia and California, has been sentenced to 135 months in federal prison for trafficking large amounts of fentanyl shipped from California. The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Rios pleaded guilty on September 3 before Judge Dabney L. Friedrich to one count of conspiracy to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl and cocaine. In addition to his prison sentence, he will serve five years of supervised release.
The announcement was made alongside DEA Special Agent in Charge Christopher C. Goumenis and FBI Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox.
According to court documents, two packages sent from a FedEx facility in Monterrey Park, California, addressed to “Martes Benito” on Congress Street SE, were flagged as suspicious by FedEx on December 13, 2022. The DEA recovered about 700 grams of fentanyl pills and 200 grams of cocaine from one package; the second package intercepted days later contained a kilogram of fentanyl pills.
Through subpoenas to airlines and surveillance footage, agents identified two people who frequently traveled between Los Angeles and Washington D.C., shipping packages from Monterrey Park facilities back to D.C. Several intercepted packages were found to contain fentanyl pills. Searches at the residences connected with these individuals led agents to recover additional narcotics, firearms, and large sums of cash.
FBI agents continued their investigation into the California supplier’s identity. In July 2023, during a separate DEA operation, agents arranged a purchase of fentanyl and cocaine from Albert Rios.
A search at Rios’ residence resulted in the recovery of a kilo each of cocaine and fentanyl, approximately 15,000 fentanyl pills, and about $23,000 in cash.
Further investigation linked Rios’ phone number with those mailing narcotics to D.C., leading agents on February 7, 2024, to execute another search warrant at his California home where they found about 1,000 more fentanyl pills and an ounce of cocaine. Analysis of his cell phones revealed photos showing large quantities of fentanyl pills; authorities determined that Rios was responsible for at least 8.425 kilograms of fentanyl and over one kilogram of cocaine trafficked in this case.
The case was investigated by the DEA and FBI Washington Field Office with assistance from the Virginia State Police, Montgomery County Police Department, Orange County Sheriff’s Office, and United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nihar Mohanty prosecuted the case.
