2 weeks Ago
RIVERSIDE, California — Three individuals have been arrested following a federal grand jury indictment alleging a scheme to smuggle narcotics into a Riverside County jail. The indictment names 10 defendants involved in the operation. The scheme allegedly involved smuggling fentanyl, methamphetamine, and heroin into the detention facility by concealing drugs inside individuals who purposely got arrested to deliver the contraband, according to the indictment.
The other defendants charged in the case were already in custody. "Drug smuggling endangers the lives of inmates and the sheriff’s deputies who are sworn to guard them," said Acting United States Attorney Joseph McNally. He commended the FBI and the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department for their efforts in addressing the issue.
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco highlighted the importance of cooperation with federal law enforcement agencies for public safety. "The smuggling of drugs into our jails, particularly with the emergence of fentanyl, has dramatically increased inmate deaths and medical emergencies within our corrections division," Bianco stated. The conspiracy was allegedly led by 46-year-old Andrew Jesus Ayala, of Riverside, and members of a Riverside-based street gang.
They reportedly collaborated with in-custody defendants seeking narcotics, street facilitators, and at least one drug mule who concealed narcotics in a body cavity, the indictment alleges. The scheme, which began at an unknown date and continued into late 2022, involved intercepted phone calls revealing efforts to smuggle narcotics into a Riverside County custody facility. Leaders of the operation arranged temporary housing for drug mules before and after their arrests and took steps to avoid detection by X-ray scanners, according to the indictment.
In one incident in late 2022, a defendant attempted to smuggle 13⁄4 ounces of methamphetamine concealed inside his body, but the contraband was detected by an X-ray machine upon his arrival in custody, the indictment alleges. The conspiracy also involved discussions about smuggling fentanyl-laced pills to be sold inside the jail for 10 times the street price. The indictment charges all 10 defendants with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute methamphetamine, carrying a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a maximum of 40 years in federal prison.
Nine defendants face additional charges of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, with similar sentencing guidelines. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt..
