FULLERTON : 3 Men Sentenced in Record Cocaine Bust
A federal judge sentenced three men to long prison terms Tuesday following their conviction for drug trafficking in connection with the largest cocaine seizure in Orange County history.
The prison sentences for the February, 1990, haul--3.5 tons of cocaine seized in Fullerton--ranged from 14 to 30 years.
In Los Angeles, U.S. District Judge W. Matthew Byrne Jr. sentenced Rodolfo Trujillo, 47, of New York to 30 years in prison on five drug-related counts; Trujillo’s brother, Henry, 38, also of New York, to 16 years, eight months, on two counts, and Hector Enrique Gomez, 29, of Texas, to 14 years, two months, on two counts.
Under federal law, criminal defendants must serve a minimum of 85% of their prison sentences.
“These penalties are a significant indication of our continuing commitment to seeking out and prosecuting violators of our narcotics laws,” said Assistant U.S. Atty. Jeffrey W. Johnson.
Johnson said the seizure resulted from a cooperative, undercover operation over a period of more than three years involving the FBI, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department and the Santa Ana, Buena Park and Gardena police departments.
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