Three individuals have been sentenced for their roles in a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy in Reno. Saul Nolasco, Maria Valenzuela, and Xochitl Sanchez-Pacheco were found guilty of distributing over 33 kilograms of methamphetamine.
Nolasco, aged 25 from Lodi, California, received a 41-month prison sentence. Valenzuela, aged 64 from Sinaloa, Mexico, was sentenced to 33 months, while Sanchez-Pacheco, aged 38 also from Sinaloa, received a 30-month sentence. United States District Judge Miranda M. Du presided over the sentencing.
Court documents reveal that between January and October 2023, the trio conspired to distribute methamphetamine in Reno. Nolasco worked closely with his brother in Mexico and managed operations on the ground in Nevada and California. He handled cash payments and distributed methamphetamine stored at his residence.
Valenzuela was involved in multiple transactions involving pounds of methamphetamine. She facilitated deliveries and collected payments for the organization. In November 2023, she was apprehended at the U.S.-Mexico border with her daughter while transporting 97 pounds of methamphetamine concealed within trap compartments of a van.
Sanchez-Pacheco delivered significant quantities of methamphetamine in Reno and Modesto, California. She also collected payment for these deliveries.
A fourth co-defendant, Bobby Jo Kissel, pleaded guilty in October 2024 and is awaiting sentencing.
The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Sue Fahami for the District of Nevada and Assistant Special Agent Kevin Adams for the DEA Las Vegas District Office.
The case was investigated by multiple agencies including the DEA's Regional Narcotics Unit and Washoe County Sheriff's Office K-9 Unit among others. Assistant United States Attorney Andolyn Johnson prosecuted the case.
This operation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) initiative aimed at dismantling high-level criminal organizations threatening the United States through a coordinated multi-agency approach.