U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins | U.S. Department of Justice
Foreign nationals residing in Utah are set to appear in court today after being charged with drug-related offenses last week. The charges include the alleged distribution of fentanyl and heroin within the District of Utah.
The individuals charged are Jose Manuel Perez-Flores, 36, Victor Flores Esquivel, 48, Jaime Hernandez-Ruin, 26, all from West Valley City, and Eduardo Hernandez-Ruiz, 28, from Murray. They were initially detained on December 23, 2024. A federal grand jury returned an indictment on January 8, 2025.
Court documents reveal that since September 2024, the Utah County Major Crimes Task Force (UCMC) has been investigating a group suspected of distributing significant quantities of heroin and fentanyl across Salt Lake County. Detectives conducted controlled purchases leading to search warrants executed on three residences on December 16, 2024. During these searches in West Valley City, authorities seized substantial amounts of fentanyl and heroin along with cash and drug paraphernalia.
In total, law enforcement confiscated approximately 28,921 individual fentanyl pills and 308 grams of heroin from the raids.
Perez-Flores, Flores Esquivel, Jaime Hernandez-Ruiz, and Eduardo Hernandez-Ruiz face charges including conspiracy to distribute heroin and possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute. Additional individual charges have also been filed against them. Their initial court appearance is scheduled for January 13 at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in Salt Lake City.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Trina A. Higgins for the District of Utah. The investigation is a collaborative effort between the UCMC and the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Pete Reichman will prosecute the case as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program aimed at reducing violent crime through community collaboration and strategic enforcement priorities.
It is important to note that an indictment is merely an allegation; all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
