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Federal jury indicts 17 for smuggling drugs like fentanyl into US from Mexico using fire extinguishers
A federal grand jury in California has indicted 10 men for allegedly smuggling fentanyl, methamphetamine and heroin into the U.S. from Mexico, by packing the narcotics into fire extinguishers and concealing the devices in loads of scrap metal.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California said a two-year investigation called Operation “Smoke Jumpers” resulted in 13 seizures including 680,992 fentanyl pills, 3 kilograms of fentanyl powder, 17 kilograms of heroin and 10,418 pills containing methamphetamine.
The operation ran from Feb. 8 – 12, during which nine defendants were arrested.
There are also seven additional suspects who federal agents believe are in Mexico.
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Drug smugglers allegedly packed fentanyl and other narcotics into fire extinguishers and loaded them onto trucks with scrap metal before driving them into the U.S. from Mexico. (FBI Los Angeles)
The defendants who were arrested are:
- Oscar Ahumada Leyva, 43, of Mexico;
- Miguel Antonio Rabago Valenzuela, 42, of Mexico;
- Gustavo Rivero Rodriguez, 39, of Mexico;
- Carlos Espinoza, 38, of Alhambra;
- Erick Roque Angeles, 39, of Fontana;
- David Sanchez Balderas, 26, of Denver;
- Fernando Salgado, 36, of Riverside;
- Rocio Guadalupe Acevedo Tonche, 32, of Ontario; and
- Efren Quibrera Espinoza, 29, of Cudahy
Federal agents believe seven other suspects, now fugitives, are in Mexico.
The 15-count indictment unsealed on Feb. 8, accuses the defendants of drug trafficking and money laundering conspiracy.
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The FBI is searching for seven additional fugitives who were indicted on drug smuggling-related charges. (FBI Los Angeles)
Five of six suspects taken into custody in the Los Angeles and Inland Empire regions have pleaded guilty and been arraigned. They are expected to stand trial on April 2.
Angeles was scheduled to be arraigned in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles on Thursday, and Baez-Duarte, 33, was already in state custody.
Estrada’s office said in a press release that the investigation focused on the San Diego-based Carin Trucking, owned by Leyva. The company operated at least six semi-trucks that drove from Mexico into the U.S. to deliver suspected narcotics to the Los Angeles area.
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The narcotics were concealed in fire extinguishers disguised as scrap metal, then later as what looked like legitimate fire extinguishers, a search warrant into Espinoza’s phone alleged.
“Investigators have observed multiple drug transactions involving truck drivers and their semi-trucks,” according to the affidavit in support of the search warrant. “The truck driver would drive into the United States from Mexico and cross the border usually carrying a load of scrap metal, and concealed inside will be a scrap metal fire extinguisher containing drugs. The truck driver would then make his way up to Los Angeles, to meet a courier, who would pick up the drug-packed fire extinguishers for further distribution.”
If convicted, the two narcotics conspiracies and 12 drug possession offenses carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison, up to life behind bars. The 15th count of money laundering carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
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The FBI led the investigation and was assisted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the South Gate Police Department, IRS Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations and several other federal, state and local agencies.
Read the full article from Here
SAN FRANCISCO – Cal/OSHA is fining Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and the University of California San Francisco for violations of worker safety laws in connection to an employee’s deadly stabbing last year.
Hospital fined
What we know:
A social worker died after being stabbed by a patient last December at the hospital’s Ward 86 HIV care clinic.
KTVU has obtained the citation documents that show Cal/OSHA found that the hospital lacked adequate protections to identify, investigate and manage potentially dangerous patients and proposed more than $130,000 in fines. Cal/OSHA found seven violations, including six serious citations at the hospital.
The occupational and safety health division also cited UCSF for lacking an effective workplace violence prevention plan with fines of nearly $143,000. Cal/OSHA found UCSF had eight violations and seven serious citations.
“A social worker at ZSFG (Zuckerberg SF General) was stabbed multiple times by a patient with a knife,” a spokesperson for Cal/OSHA’s statement read. “The social worker, an employee of the Regents of the University of California–San Francisco (UCSF), died of injuries two days later. UCSF’s physicians and other medical professionals provide some of the medical care at ZSFG.”
Cal/OSHA said their workplace violence prevention protocol for healthcare facilities has been in place since 2017.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – MAY 16: A view of the Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center on May 16, 2018 in San Francisco, California. In the wake of widespread data breaches at Facebook, patients and nurses at Zuckerberg San Francisco G
The backstory:
Alberto Rangel, 51, was stabbed and killed on Dec. 9, 2025 at the hospital by a suspect, identified as Wilfredo Tortolero-Arreichi, 35.
Police said Tortolero-Arreichi was walking with the social worker toward an elevator when the suspect grabbed the victim from behind and stabbed him numerous times in the neck. Rangel died at the hospital two days later.
Remembering the victim
Rangel was described by colleagues as someone who treated everyone with love and absolute care and as someone who went above and beyond for his colleagues and patients. He ran support groups in English and Spanish.
Outside of work, he was remembered as an artist, an athlete and for his sense of humor and sharp fashion sense.
Activists demanded safety accountability at the hospital in the aftermath of Rangel’s fatal stabbing.
In December, Tortolero-Arreichi, failed to appear in court as the defendant when he was still locked up in a hospital psychiatric ward.
Tortolero-Arreichi remains in custody at the San Francisco County Jail. According to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, it has requested San Francisco to honor an immigration detainer against the suspect once he has been tried and serves any potential sentence. ICE said the suspect is an illegal immigrant from Venezuela with a criminal record.
Denver’s City Park lost a special piece of history when its bandshell was destroyed by a fire in March. Now, the city says it’s moving forward with rebuilding it.
The original bandstand was constructed in 1896 and has seen a few iterations over the years. It was replaced in 1924, and a replica was constructed on the site in 1984.
Although the structure itself has been replaced, the site has been home to community gatherings, events, concerts and celebrations for the past 130 years. City Park Jazz hosts jazz concerts at the bandshell every week over the summer.
DPR says it holds an important place in local history, and the city has begun the process of rebuilding it.
The recent fire heavily damaged the structure, and a structural assessment found that what remains is not salvageable, DPR explained.
They’ve contracted Mundus Bishop to lead the design for the new bandshell. The city says it’s working to raise the $250,000 needed to cover the insurance deductible and to support construction of the new structure.
City officials say demolition will begin in the fall and that construction of the new bandshell will start by the end of the year. They hope to open it in time for the 2027 CityPark Jazz season.
The city wants the community’s feedback on the new design, and is holding a pop-up event on June 28 to introduce the design team and to share project updates. They invite the community to ask questions and offer input as the project progresses.
More information on the project is available on the city’s website.
Chelsea Gray Top Points vs. Seattle Storm, 06/08/2026
Video Transcript
Getting some good looks, Seattle.
Just haven’t been able to drop them from outside.
It’s 40% from the floor.
Gray down low.
Bullying High to mid.
Yeah, I think it’s pretty exciting the first few times you get to go up against your idol.
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And they are right here.
She’s gonna try and steal the ball from her right now.
Gray for three, is able to get it to drop.
to the game, she mentioned that sometimes they have the same instincts.
They cut to the same spots, and that’s gonna take time to learn each other.
As Gray falls away.
Eight to shoot.
Gray, able to get it to drop.
Now in double figures
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