Foreign nationals residing in Utah are set to appear in court today following charges of drug-related offenses. They are accused of distributing fentanyl and heroin within the District of Utah.
The individuals charged include Jose Manuel Perez-Flores, 36, Victor Flores Esquivel, 48, Jaime Hernandez-Ruin, 26, all from West Valley City, and Eduardo Hernandez-Ruiz, 28, from Murray. They were initially detained on December 23, 2024. A federal grand jury issued an indictment on January 8, 2025.
Court documents reveal that since September 2024, the Utah County Major Crimes Task Force (UCMC) has been investigating a group suspected of distributing significant quantities of heroin and fentanyl across Salt Lake County. Detectives conducted controlled purchases leading to search warrants executed on three residences on December 16, 2024. The searches resulted in the seizure of large amounts of drugs and cash.
At one residence in West Valley City, detectives seized over four hundred grams of fentanyl and two hundred grams of heroin along with other items related to drug distribution. At another location in West Valley City, they confiscated additional quantities of fentanyl and heroin as well as electronic devices linked to financial transactions. A third residence yielded nearly two thousand grams of fentanyl pills from a vehicle registered to Eduardo Hernandez-Ruiz.
In total, authorities seized nearly thirty thousand individual fentanyl pills and over three hundred grams of heroin. The defendants face charges including conspiracy to distribute heroin and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. Their initial court appearance is scheduled for January 13 at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in Salt Lake City.
United States Attorney Trina A. Higgins announced the charges while Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Pete Reichman will prosecute the case jointly investigated by UCMC and the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office.
This investigation is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), aimed at reducing violent crime through collaboration between law enforcement agencies and communities. More information about PSN can be found at Justice.gov/PSN.
An indictment serves as an allegation; all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.