Donis Ariel Maldonado, a 29-year-old Guatemalan national also known as Donis Maldonado Reyes or "Danny," has been sentenced to four years and three months in prison. The sentencing was announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith in Fresno, California. Maldonado was convicted for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin and methamphetamine.
Court documents reveal that Maldonado collaborated with others to distribute significant quantities of drugs—22 pounds of black tar heroin and 88 pounds of methamphetamine—sourced from Mexico. On June 23, 2019, he collected the drugs from San Diego and transported them to El Monte. The following day, he delivered the drugs to an informant working under law enforcement direction at a convenience store in El Monte. The estimated value of these drugs was $300,000.
The investigation leading to Maldonado's conviction involved multiple agencies including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Fresno County Sheriff's Office, and the High Impact Investigation Team (HIIT), part of the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Initiative (HIDTA). This initiative comprises personnel from various law enforcement bodies such as the California Department of Justice and several county sheriff’s offices.
Assistant United States Attorney Karen Escobar prosecuted this case under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF aims to identify, disrupt, and dismantle major criminal organizations threatening the United States through a coordinated multi-agency approach led by prosecutors. More information about OCDETF can be found at Justice.gov/OCDETF.