Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko announced that federal prosecutors have taken over the prosecution of four men previously charged in Ventura County in connection with a large-scale narcotics trafficking operation involving fentanyl, methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine.
On June 12, 2026, the United States Attorney’s Office obtained a federal grand jury indictment charging Jorge Humberto Valdivia a 27-year-old man, Angel Omar Azpeitia Garcia a 21-year-old man, Jorge Arturo Marquez Chavez a 28-year-old man, and Victor Manuel Otero Correa a 28-year-old man, all of North Hollywood, with 17 federal counts arising from the same conduct alleged in the Ventura County case. As a result of the federal prosecution, the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office dismissed its case against the defendants on June 15, 2026. Under the federal indictment, each defendant faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison.
“The amount of narcotics recovered in this case was staggering and posed a significant threat to public safety throughout Ventura County,” said Senior Deputy District Attorney Audry Nafziger, who handled the Ventura County case. “Federal prosecution ensures these defendants face substantial consequences and reflects the seriousness of the conduct alleged.”
The case originated from an investigation by the Simi Valley Police Department’s Narcotics Unit. In August 2025, detectives, assisted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, executed multiple search warrants in Los Angeles County that resulted in the seizure of approximately 24 pounds of fentanyl, 18.75 pounds of methamphetamine, 4.5 pounds of heroin, and one pound of cocaine. Investigators also recovered more than $129,000 in cash, digital scales, and packaging materials. The estimated total street value of the evidence seized is approximately $1.4 million.
The fentanyl seized in the investigation represented an estimated five million potentially lethal doses.