Alejandro Gallegos, a 42-year-old from Hacienda Heights, California, has been sentenced to 27 years in prison for his involvement in a drug trafficking organization. The sentencing also includes five years of supervised release. Gallegos was convicted of conspiracy to distribute significant quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine in the Charleston area.
The court documents reveal that between February 2021 and March 2023, Gallegos conspired with others to distribute these drugs within the Southern District of West Virginia. On March 18, 2023, he instructed co-defendant Ildiberto Gonzalez Jr. to transport approximately 196 pounds of methamphetamine and four kilograms of cocaine from California to Bluefield, West Virginia. This shipment was arranged for $400,000 with another conspirator based in West Virginia.
Gonzalez Jr., aged 31 from San Bernadino, California, received a sentence on July 22, 2024, of 14 years imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release after admitting guilt to conspiracy charges related to methamphetamine distribution.
Operation Smoke and Mirrors led to the conviction of 31 individuals and resulted in the largest methamphetamine seizure in West Virginia's history. Law enforcement seized over 400 pounds of methamphetamine along with other drugs, firearms, and cash.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston stated: “No defendant sentenced in the Southern District of West Virginia has been responsible for the amount of methamphetamine attributable to this defendant. There is no comparison.” She highlighted that Gallegos directed drug trafficking operations from afar, contributing significantly to the region's drug crisis.
The investigation involved multiple agencies including the FBI, DEA, ATF among others. The operation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), aimed at dismantling major drug trafficking networks threatening public safety and national security.
United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston delivered the sentence while Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe prosecuted the case.
