Individual in Stanislaus County Fentanyl and Firearm Trafficking Ring Sentenced to over 11 Years in Prison

Oleg Arreola, 28, of Modesto, was sentenced Monday by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley to 11 years and three months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm in connection with a drug and firearm trafficking conspiracy in Stanislaus County, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.

According to court documents, Operation Blue Death, an investigation into drug trafficking and illegal firearm trafficking in Stanislaus County, resulted in the arrest of seven individuals engaged in distributing fentanyl pills and firearms between September 2022 and June 2023.

The indictment alleges that throughout March and April 2023, co-defendant Arturo Madrid sold several firearms and thousands of fentanyl pills, including one instance on April 21, 2023, where Madrid sold 6,000 fentanyl pills and a Draco (PAK 9 9 mm Luger) rifle.

The indictment alleges that on June 13, 2023, Arreola and co-defendants Arturo Madrid, Andrew Rodriguez, and Enrique DeLeon arrived at a location for a pre-arranged purchase of 50,000 fentanyl pills. Officers arrested the four defendants shortly after they arrived. Officers seized an AK-style Draco rifle Arreola brought to the drug deal and had at his feet during his arrest. Co-defendant DeLeon had approximately 30,000 fentanyl pills inside a briefcase in his vehicle when officers arrested him.

In total seven individuals were charged with drug and firearm trafficking offenses in a 17-count indictment. Their status, based on court records, includes:

• Arturo Madrid, 29, of Modesto, pleaded guilty to distributing fentanyl and possessing a firearm as a felon. He was sentenced to 11 years and three months in prison on Nov. 17, 2025.
• Enrique Cruz DeLeon, 28, of Salida, pleaded guilty to possessing with intent to distribute 30,000 fentanyl pills. He was sentenced to 11 years and three months in prison on April 21, 2025.
• Ebony Lambert, 48, of Turlock, pleaded guilty to distributing fentanyl. She was sentenced to two years in prison on Aug. 25, 2025.
• Donnell Mays, 50, of Turlock, pleaded guilty to distributing fentanyl. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 13, 2026. He faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison.
• Andrew Madrid and Andrew Rodriguez are set for trial on Sept. 22, 2026. Madrid is charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and distributing fentanyl. Rodriguez is charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, two counts of distributing fentanyl, two counts of possessing a firearm as a felon, and using or carrying a firearm during a drug trafficking offense. If convicted, both face a mandatory minimum of 10 years and a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison. Rodriguez faces an additional mandatory minimum of five years in prison for carrying a firearm during a drug trafficking offense.

The Stanislaus Sheriff's Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are conducting the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cody S. Chapple is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Sacramento comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations, Federal Bureau of Investigations, Drug Enforcement Administration, Northern California High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, Central Valley High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, and Sacramento County Sheriff's Office with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of California.