A Vancouver, Washington resident has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for drug and gun trafficking, according to an announcement by Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Juan Onofre Flores Carrillo, aged 49, was arrested alongside his co-defendant Jesus Daniel Valenzuela Ayala in March 2024 during a raid on their stash house. Law enforcement seized over seven pounds of fentanyl, 43 pounds of methamphetamine, and an assault rifle equipped with a grenade launcher.
At the sentencing hearing, Chief U.S. District Judge David G. Estudillo remarked on the impact of these substances: “These controlled substances create significant problems for the community. There are individuals who overdose and die from these substances and those who don’t become addicted and become a drain on everyone.”
Flores Carrillo, also known as "El Cholo," was identified in early 2023 as a major fentanyl pill dealer in southwest Washington. Over the course of more than a year, law enforcement conducted several significant drug purchases from him using confidential informants. Among these transactions were sales of 3,000 fentanyl pills and a kilogram of crystal methamphetamine to an informant. Flores Carrillo also sold high-powered firearms including an AR-type "ghost gun" without a serial number and a Norinco Mak-90 rifle.
In early 2024, authorities identified the location where Flores Carrillo stored his drugs while he continued selling heroin and fentanyl. He was arrested shortly after agreeing to sell 10,000 fentanyl pills on March 13, 2024.
Flores Carrillo pleaded guilty on November 13, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and use of a firearm during drug trafficking crimes. Prosecutors highlighted the danger posed by firearms in drug trafficking operations: “Firearms are a tool of the drug trade...The firearms that Flores Carrillo possessed and sold...are highly dangerous.” Judge Estudillo added that involving firearms in drug trafficking could lead to violence affecting both dealers and innocent people.
Co-defendant Valenzuela Ayala was arrested as the sole occupant of the stash house and received a seven-year prison sentence. Both men are Mexican citizens who may face deportation after serving their sentences.
The investigation was led by the FBI with support from various local law enforcement agencies including the Vancouver Police Department and Clark County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigation Unit along with ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Zachary Dillon and Max Shiner.
