Downey men linked to Sinaloa cartel in federal drug case
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DOWNEY — Federal prosecutors say two men connected to a Downey residence long suspected as a smuggling hub for Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel have now taken divergent paths in the justice system — one serving a federal prison sentence and the other a fugitive from custody.
Julio Cesar Nevarez-Erunez, 24, was sentenced Dec. 4 to 70 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, authorities said. Nevarez-Erunez, formerly of Downey and now of Salem, Oregon, received the sentence in U.S. District Court in Sacramento before Judge Daniel J. Calabretta.
Nevarez-Erunez and co-defendant Juan Niebla-Osuna, 28, of Downey, were identified by investigators as distributors of methamphetamine and heroin believed to be sourced from the Sinaloa cartel, according to court filings and federal officials. In July 2022 the pair sold about 15 pounds of methamphetamine to a confidential government informant as part of a sting operation.
Federal surveillance in 2022 included agents observing the men load duffel bags and boxes suspected to contain large quantities of drugs at the Downey apartment they shared. Later that year, Nevarez-Erunez was arrested by Homeland Security Investigations agents in Sacramento with 40 pounds of methamphetamine and more than 5,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl in his vehicle.
A subsequent search of the Downey residence turned up several more pounds of meth and fentanyl, authorities said.
Niebla-Osuna also pleaded guilty earlier in the case but did not appear for his scheduled sentencing in August in the Eastern District of California. Federal pretrial services reported he left his home after his court-approved curfew on Aug. 25 and had not been seen since. His wife told authorities she was in Mexico and had not spoken to him since just before he disappeared, and his mother reported seeing suitcases near his bedroom, according to a federal petition. A bench warrant has been issued for his arrest.
Prosecutors had recommended a nine-year prison term as part of Niebla-Osuna’s plea agreement, though the deal stipulated that he could face additional charges if he fled.
The case was the product of a joint investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Haddy Abouzeid prosecuted the case for the government.
Neighbors described the quiet suburban street near the apartment complex in Downey where the men lived as typical of the city’s residential areas. One resident recalled a federal search of the home as “mostly peaceful” but said the police presence was surprising at the time.
The arrests and proceedings follow other cartel-linked drug trafficking cases in the Downey area. Earlier this year, the Los Angeles County District Attorney announced charges against three alleged cartel affiliates found with more than 50 pounds of fentanyl and 12 pounds of opium in another local apartment complex.