Vancouver man sentenced to 10 years in federal prison on drug, gun trafficking charges

A Vancouver man was sentenced Monday to 10 years in federal prison for drug and gun trafficking charges.

Juan Onofre Flores Carrillo, 49, pleaded guilty in November in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and use of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.

He and co-defendant Jesus Daniel Valenzuela Ayala, 24, were arrested in March 2024 after law enforcement raided their stash house. Inside, investigators found about 7 pounds of fentanyl, 43 pounds of methamphetamine and an assault rifle equipped with a grenade launcher, according to a U.S. Attorney’s Office news release.

According to the criminal complaint, investigators identified Flores Carrillo — known as El Cholo — as a “significant fentanyl pill dealer in Southwest Washington,” the news release states. Investigators worked for more than a year, using confidential informants, to purchase drugs on multiple occasions from Flores Carrillo. During one buy, Flores Carrillo sold 3,000 fentanyl pills to an informant, as well as a pound of crystal methamphetamine and firearms on other occasions.

On March 13, 2024, after Flores Carrillo sold 10,000 fentanyl pills, he was arrested by law enforcement, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Valenzuela Ayala was previously sentenced to seven years in prison. The U.S. Attorney’s Office said both men are citizens of Mexico and are expected to be deported after they complete their prison terms.

“These controlled substances create significant problems for the community,” Chief U.S. District Judge David G. Estudillo said during the sentencing hearing, according to the news release. “There are individuals who overdose and die from these substances and those who don’t become addicted and become a drain on everyone.”