Tara K. McGrath, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California
Danny Nunez has entered a guilty plea in federal court, acknowledging his role in supplying fentanyl that led to the death of a 25-year-old woman, referred to as "L.P." in court documents. The incident occurred on September 11, 2024, in San Diego.
The plea agreement reveals that the woman's parents discovered her deceased on September 12, 2024. Investigations revealed she had purchased fentanyl from Nunez on the previous day. The drugs were consumed and resulted in her death.
Nunez was apprehended on October 3, 2024, during an enforcement operation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Diego's Fentanyl Abatement and Suppression Team (FAST), along with the Escondido Police Department. He attempted to sell fentanyl weighing a total of 8.9 grams to undercover agents.
Nunez will face sentencing on May 19, 2025, before U.S. District Court Judge Thomas J. Whelan. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Van Demark is prosecuting the case.
HSI San Diego FAST is a task force established in August 2022 that includes various state, local, and federal agencies aimed at disrupting fentanyl distribution networks within San Diego County to combat rising overdose rates.
The charges against Nunez include attempted distribution of fentanyl under 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1), which carries a maximum penalty of twenty years per count.
