A former Riverside County Sheriff’s correctional deputy, arrested in September 2023 for alleged possession of Fentanyl, has been alleged to have been part of a wider investigation into drug-trafficking by the Mexican cartel once headed by the infamous Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán.
Jorge Oceguera-Rocha was charged with possession of narcotics for market purposed and transportation of narcotics with the goal of distributing, in addition to possession of a firearm while carrying out a felony, on Sept. 17, 2023, according to The Press-Enterprise. Over 100 pounds of fentanyl was allegedly found inside his vehicle, the outlet reported.
A joint press release by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Riverside Police Department (RPD), April 25, says an officer was arrested as part of Operation “Hotline Bling.” This operation was an investigation into Sinaloa Cartel operations. The officer is not identified. However, The Press-Enterprise reported that the description of the alleged crimes in the press release closely parallels the alleged crimes of Ocequera-Rocha.
The cartel is one of the biggest drug-trafficking operations in the world, the U.S. government says, according to the BBC. It is also one of the world’s most famous as a result of a popular Netflix series based on the exploits of its former leader Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán. He is currently serving a life sentence with 30 additional years in the United States following his extradition from Mexico.
His son, Ovidio Guzman Lopez, was also extradited on drug trafficking charges in September 2023. (RELATED: This Is So 2024: El Chapo’s Granddaughter Is Reportedly Hunting For The Loch Ness Monster)
These Are The Craziest Things Revealed During El Chapo’s First Week On Trial https://t.co/Rnoqm76kOD pic.twitter.com/F0h0ybLUDs
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) November 17, 2018
Oceguera-Rocha, 25, from Banning, Southern California, pleaded not guilty to all charges at Banning Justice Center in September 2023, according to The Press-Enterprise, He is reportedly facing up to 10 years in prison if convicted. His bail is set at $5 million, the outlet reported.
Operation Hotline Bling also managed to seize 376 pounds of methamphetamine, 37.4 pounds of fentanyl, 600,000 fentanyl tablets, around three pounds of cocaine and seven firearms as part of the wider investigation, the DEA and RPD press release reads. Deaths from fentanyl and other synthetic opioids are among the biggest killers in the USA, with more than 150 people dying of overdoses daily, according to the CDC.