Jose Angel Gonzalez-Carrillo from Modesto, California, and Ethyel Aldahyr Ontiveros-Flores from Mazatlan, Mexico, were arrested on June 2, 2025. They face charges of conspiring to distribute over 36 kilograms of fentanyl pills and more than 9 kilograms of fentanyl powder.
On the day of their arrest, Gonzalez-Carrillo coordinated a sale involving approximately 10,000 fentanyl pills in Phoenix, Arizona. Ontiveros-Flores delivered this batch and later provided an additional delivery of over 90,000 pills. Both deliveries were organized by Gonzalez-Carrillo. Following the second delivery, law enforcement apprehended both individuals. A search of Ontiveros-Flores’s property revealed over 200,000 more fentanyl pills and nine packages of fentanyl powder weighing about one kilogram each.
If convicted for possessing over 400 grams of fentanyl with intent to distribute, the defendants face a minimum sentence of ten years in prison and could receive up to life imprisonment. The potential fine is up to $10 million with a supervised release term ranging from five years to life.
The criminal complaint serves as a formal charge without implying guilt. Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt by a jury.
This case falls under Operation Take Back America, an initiative aimed at combating illegal immigration and dismantling cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs). The operation consolidates resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The investigation is led by the DEA with support from Homeland Security Investigations, Goodyear Police Department, Arizona Department of Public Safety, and Arizona State University Police Department. The United States Attorney’s Office in Phoenix is prosecuting the case.
