A Lynwood, California man was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison Monday for trafficking 11 pounds of methamphetamine from California to Oregon. Luis Banuelos, 34, was sentenced to 168 months in federal prison and five years’ supervised release.
According to court documents, on February 28, 2021, as part of a drug trafficking investigation, officers from the Central Oregon Drug Enforcement (CODE) team arrested Banuelos after he transported methamphetamine from California to deliver to a customer in Prineville, Oregon. Officers searched Banuelos’s vehicle and seized two boxes containing more than 11 pounds of methamphetamine. When questioned by investigators, Banuelos admitted to transporting drugs from California approximately seven times for distribution in Oregon.
On August 4, 2022, Banuelos was charged by criminal information with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. On October 31, 2022, Banuelos pleaded guilty to the charge.
The case was investigated by the CODE team and the Drug Enforcement Agency. It was prosecuted by Adam Delph, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.