Thanks to a team effort by national and local law enforcement agencies, Porterville drug dealer Renato Aguilera, faces at least 10 years in federal prison.
Aguilera, 30, pleaded guilty in federal court in Fresno on Friday to charges of conspiring to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced in a news release.
According to court documents, between Jan. 1, 2020, and Dec. 3, 2020, Aguilera conspired with Pedro Delgado-Montenegro, 42, a native and citizen of Mexico, and James Cox, 58, of Porterville, in a drug trafficking ring.
Aguilera, acting upon Delgado-Montenegro’s orders, delivered 800 counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl during two separate undercover transactions. Aguilera also delivered about 1 pound of meth to Cox, following negotiations between Delgado-Montenegro and Cox, prosecutors said.
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Charges Pending Against Alleged Co-Conspirators
Charges are pending against Cox and Delgado-Montenegro, the Department of Justice said.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the FBI teamed with police officers in Porterville, Coalinga, and Fresno to break up the ring.
Aguilera is scheduled for sentencing by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston on April 29.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar is prosecuting the case.
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