A Los Angeles resident has admitted guilt in a federal court to charges related to drug trafficking, as announced by Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti. Jose Angel Sanchez, aged 33, entered a guilty plea before United States District Judge W. Scott Hardy for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine.
The court was informed that between March 2022 and September 2022, an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigated a drug trafficking organization operating in Western Pennsylvania. The investigation found that Sanchez mailed parcels containing kilogram quantities of cocaine from California to Aliquippa, Pennsylvania. After authorities intercepted a parcel with two kilograms of cocaine destined for Aliquippa, Sanchez redirected the shipments to co-defendant Christopher Andrew Salgado in West Virginia. Surveillance confirmed Salgado transported the parcels from West Virginia to Pittsburgh International Airport, where he met Sanchez arriving from California flights. Salgado then drove both the parcel and Sanchez to co-defendant Romaro Foster Sr. in Aliquippa.
Following one such delivery to Foster Sr., law enforcement stopped Salgado while he was driving Sanchez back to the airport. After identifying both individuals, officers terminated the stop but continued surveillance. Before reaching the airport, Salgado discarded a box at a fast-food restaurant's trash bin. Investigators retrieved it and found drug packaging material inside; tests confirmed cocaine presence.
In August 2022, investigators seized another parcel sent from California containing approximately two kilograms of cocaine addressed to Salgado in West Virginia. A search warrant executed at Salgado’s residence uncovered another package mailed by Sanchez with about two kilograms of cocaine.
Judge Hardy has scheduled sentencing for October 2, 2025. The potential sentence ranges from a minimum of ten years up to life imprisonment and could include fines up to $10 million or both. The final sentence will consider the offense's severity and any prior criminal history under federal Sentencing Guidelines. Previously, Judge Hardy sentenced Salgado to five years for his involvement in this conspiracy.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna is prosecuting on behalf of the government. The Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Drug Enforcement Administration conducted this investigation leading to Sanchez's prosecution.
This case is part of an OCDETF investigation aimed at dismantling high-level drug traffickers and transnational criminal organizations threatening U.S security through collaborative efforts among various law enforcement agencies.
