Michele Beckwith Acting U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California
Austreberto Santamaria-Valencia, a 29-year-old resident of Red Bluff, was sentenced to serve four years and three months in prison. This decision was handed down by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley. Santamaria-Valencia's sentence is due to charges of possessing fentanyl with intention to distribute and being a felon in possession of a firearm, as announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith.
Court documents reveal that the case began on February 6, 2021, when law enforcement was called in response to a suspected overdose at a Red Bluff motel. Officers discovered Santamaria-Valencia unconscious but breathing, surrounded by several plastic bags filled with blue pills that resembled counterfeit oxycodone but often contain fentanyl. Once awakened, Santamaria-Valencia confessed to using fentanyl. Medical personnel confirmed his condition was stable, but a subsequent records check showed an outstanding arrest warrant, leading to his apprehension.
Authorities seized approximately 1,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills, a loaded Taurus G3C 9mm semi-automatic pistol, and various other items indicative of narcotics sales from his room and vehicle.
The investigation was carried out by Homeland Security Investigations, the Red Bluff Police Department, and the Tehama County District Attorney’s Office, with the case being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James Conolly.
This case is associated with Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) and Project Guardian, both Department of Justice initiatives aimed at combating violent crime and gun violence through a combination of law enforcement collaboration and community engagement.
