A federal jury in Fresno found a 27-year-old Modesto man guilty of fentanyl trafficking in Stanislaus County on Friday after a four-day trial.

The jury convicted Andrew Madrid of conspiracy as well as possession and trafficking of fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant said in a news release.

Madrid is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Micah W.J. Smith on Jan. 11, 2027. Madrid faces a maximum of 20 years in prison.

Two Major Drug Deals

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Madrid was involved in two drug deals that took place in a shopping center parking lot in Turlock.

In March 2023, Madrid and others provided another individual with two firearms and 1,000 fentanyl pills. In April 2023, Madrid and others sold 6,000 fentanyl pills and a Draco rifle (PAK-9 9 mm Luger) to the same individual.

Operation Blue Death

This case was part of Operation Blue Death, an investigation into illegal drug and firearm trafficking in Stanislaus County between September 2022 and June 2023.

The operation concluded in June 2023, when officers arrested Madrid and three co-defendants in possession of 50,000 fentanyl pills and several firearms.

The seven people charged with drug and firearm trafficking offenses in Operation Blue Death have been convicted, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

The Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cody S. Chapple and Chan Hee Chu are the prosecutors.