PHILADELPHIA, PA — Four individuals involved in a cross-country drug trafficking operation that distributed significant quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine throughout the Eastern District of Pennsylvania have been sentenced to prison. The operation, which spanned from California to Pennsylvania, impacted communities in Reading, Quakertown, Bensalem, Plymouth Township, and beyond.
Acting United States Attorney Nelson S.T. Thayer, Jr., announced the recent sentences handed down by United States District Court Judge Joshua D. Wolson. Michael Sanchez, 33, known as “West Coast,” of Los Angeles, California, was identified as the leader of the organization. He received a 14½-year prison sentence in January for orchestrating the trafficking network, overseeing drug shipments, and managing its financial operations.
Aived Abel Garcia, 26, also known as “Nephew,” of Chula Vista, California, was sentenced to 70 months in prison and five years of supervised release. Garcia traveled between California and Pennsylvania to collect drug shipments, handle payments, and deposit proceeds into the organization’s bank accounts.
Two other members, Miguel Aliaga, 37, known as “Migz,” of Whitehall, Pennsylvania, and Avrian Haywood Mack, 22, known as “The Kid,” of Reading, Pennsylvania, were each sentenced to 60 months in prison. Both participated in the distribution of methamphetamine and cocaine within Pennsylvania on behalf of the network.
“These defendants took part in a cross-country conspiracy that brought significant amounts of methamphetamine and cocaine from California to the Eastern District of Pennsylvania,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Thayer. “This office and our law enforcement partners at every level will continue to investigate and prosecute such traffickers, as we work to take illegal drugs off the street and make our communities safer.”
Investigators revealed that the organization mailed narcotics from California to Pennsylvania, where local members would retrieve the shipments for further distribution. Authorities described the operation’s impact as wide-reaching and detrimental to public safety.
The case was the result of a multi-agency effort that included Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and partner agencies such as the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office, Pennsylvania State Police, and the United States Postal Inspection Service. The operation also involved contributions from law enforcement in California and Pennsylvania, underscoring the importance of collaboration in dismantling such extensive drug networks.
Assistant United States Attorney Lizmar Bosques and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Gannon prosecuted the case.
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