Three individuals have been arrested following a federal grand jury indictment related to a scheme to smuggle narcotics into a Riverside County jail. The operation allegedly involved concealing drugs inside people who intentionally got arrested to deliver the contraband.
These arrests are part of an indictment naming 10 defendants, including those already in custody, accused of smuggling fentanyl, methamphetamine, and heroin into the detention facility. Acting United States Attorney Joseph McNally emphasized the risks posed by drug smuggling to both inmates and sheriff's deputies, expressing gratitude for the collaboration with the FBI and Riverside County Sheriff's Department on this issue.
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco highlighted the investigation's importance in public safety efforts and praised the cooperation with federal law enforcement agencies. He noted that drug smuggling, particularly involving fentanyl, has significantly increased inmate deaths and medical emergencies.
The conspiracy is alleged to have been led by Andrew Jesus Ayala, 46, of Riverside. According to the indictment, members of a local street gang collaborated with incarcerated defendants seeking narcotics and facilitators on the outside. These facilitators included at least one individual who concealed drugs in body cavities.
The scheme reportedly began at an unspecified time and continued until late 2022 when intercepted phone calls revealed attempts to smuggle drugs into a Riverside County facility. The indictment describes how leaders arranged temporary housing for drug mules before and after they were taken into custody. They also took measures to avoid detection by X-ray scanners.
In one instance in late 2022, a defendant attempted to smuggle 1¾ ounces of methamphetamine internally but was caught when an X-ray machine detected the contraband upon their entry into custody.
Members of the conspiracy allegedly discussed plans to smuggle fentanyl-laced pills that could be sold within the jail at ten times their street value.
All ten defendants face charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison and up to 40 years maximum. Nine are also charged with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine under similar sentencing guidelines.
The FBI and Riverside County Sheriff’s Department are leading this investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Peter Dahlquist and Erin C. Kiss from the Riverside Branch Office are prosecuting the case.
An indictment remains an allegation; all defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.