August 22, 2023 – FRESNO, CA — Ana Margarita Valdez-Torres, 43, a Mexican national residing in McFarland, was sentenced on Monday to five years and 10 months in prison for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, Valdez was involved in obtaining and supplying methamphetamine to drug customers steered to her by Pedro Delgado-Montenegro, a fugitive in this case who previously resided in Porterville. One month after Valdez’s involvement in the drug transactions in this case, she was arrested and convicted in Las Vegas for transporting 22 pounds of methamphetamine.

Valdez pleaded guilty to the charge on April 3, 2023. Seven co-defendants have pleaded guilty to drug trafficking offenses. Charges are pending against Delgado-Montenegro. The charges against him are only allegations; he is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Porterville Police Department, the Coalinga Police Department, and the Fresno Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar is prosecuting the case.

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Source: DOJ Release

Photo credit: DEA