(The Center Square) – A federal grand jury in Salt Lake City recently returned an 18-count indictment charging 28 defendants with many drug crimes.
The crimes, including conspiracy to distribute drugs, possession and distribution of drugs, aiding and abetting, and firearm offenses, according to a press release from the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah.
Llobani Federico Figueroa, aka “Pablo,” a 32-year-old from Magna, Utah, is allegedly the ringleader of a major drug trafficking organization in the state.
Law enforcement took Figueroa into custody on August 3, 2023. He had been a fugitive since being indicted by a federal grand jury in 2020 for distributing methamphetamine.
The new indictment lists Figueroa as the main defendant, with 27 additional co-defendants. Many of them have been taken into custody.
Other main conspirators in the drug trafficking conspiracy include: Lorena Inez Herrera, aka Lorena Duran, aka Melissa Valencia, 40, of West Valley City, Utah; Isaac David Valdez, 39, of Salt Lake City; Christopher Kin Chun, aka, “Sinner,” aka, “C Kin,” 25, of West Jordan, Utah; and Candelario Lopez-Perez, 21, a foreigner.
Between December 2022 and August 2023, Figueroa and his co-defendants allegedly conspired to distribute narcotics, including 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.
During that stretch, undercover agents conducted multiple controlled narcotics purchases from different distributors working for Figueroa’s drug trafficking organization.
Figueroa allegedly served as the main conduit for multiple Californian and Mexico-based supply sources and distributors in Utah.
Figueroa and other defendants allegedly had multiple short-term rentals known as “trap houses,” where members possessed narcotics they intended to distribute, according to the release.
At the time of his arrest, Figueroa had $300,000 cash, three Glock firearms with ammunition, 3.8 pounds of methamphetamine, 328 grams of heroin, 1.6 pounds of “crack” cocaine, and 409 grams of powder cocaine.
Figueroa is a member of a nationwide criminal organization “LaRaza.”
Additionally, Herrera possessed more than 46 pounds of methamphetamine and 37 pounds of cocaine when arrested. Meanwhile, Lopez-Perez had 700 grams of methamphetamine, 240 grams of heroin, 189 grams of cocaine, more than $15,000 in cash, and a loaded firearm when arrested.
Figueroa faces many charges. They include continuing criminal enterprise; conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine; conspiracy to distribute heroin; conspiracy to distribute cocaine; possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, aiding and abetting; possession of heroin with intent to distribute, aiding and abetting; felon in possession of a firearm; and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.
All 28 indicted defendants face conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine charges.
Figueroa was arraigned on Monday this week at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.
The court has not yet announced his trial date.
The FBI Safe Streets Violent Crime Task Force and West Valley City Police Department are jointly investigating the case; Assistant United States Attorneys for the District of Utah are prosecuting the case.
