PHILADELPHIA, PA — Gabriel Rivera-Otero, 39, and Angel Reyes-Valdez, 48, were convicted this week for their involvement in a large-scale fentanyl operation. Both men were found guilty of possessing and intending to distribute over 400 grams of the deadly opioid and maintaining drug-related premises. Reyes-Valdez was also convicted of illegal reentry after deportation.
On October 28, 2020, Rivera-Otero and Reyes-Valdez met in a Philadelphia parking lot to transfer six kilograms of fentanyl. Agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) apprehended them, recovering the fentanyl from a diaper box in Rivera-Otero’s car.
The same day, DEA agents raided two Philadelphia homes linked to the men. At Rivera-Otero’s residence, agents seized 700 grams of fentanyl, along with drug packaging materials and equipment. At Reyes-Valdez’s home, they discovered 30 kilograms of fentanyl, including brick-shaped packages and over 110,000 fentanyl pills. They also found drug paraphernalia, a loaded firearm, and $90,000 in cash.
Both men have prior felony drug convictions in the United States. Reyes-Valdez had been deported three times to the Dominican Republic between 2007 and 2014.
“Imagine the human damage that 36 kilograms — about 80 pounds! — of fentanyl could have done on the streets of Philly and beyond,” said U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero. “We and our law enforcement partners will continue to battle the dealers and traffickers endangering our communities just so they can profit from the tragedy of the opioid epidemic.”
Thomas Hodnett, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s Philadelphia Field Division, highlighted the severity of the case. “Together Rivera-Otero and Reyes-Valdez possessed over 36 kilograms of fentanyl, which is a staggering amount of a potentially lethal drug that has had catastrophic effects on our region and across the nation at large,” he said. “That Reyes-Valdez was deported from the United States on three prior occasions and returned to the Philadelphia area… shows the threat he posed to our community.”
Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin J. Bethel emphasized the importance of law enforcement collaboration. “Today’s most recent federal convictions underscore the critical importance of collaboration between law enforcement agencies to combat the epidemic of drug trafficking in our communities,” he stated.
Rivera-Otero faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and could spend life in prison. Reyes-Valdez faces at least 10 years behind bars but also could receive a life sentence.
The case was investigated by the DEA, the Philadelphia Police Department, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Justin Ashenfelter and Timothy Lanni.
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