(KRON) — A 21-year-old Honduran national who lived in Oakland and commuted to San Francisco’s troubled Tenderloin neighborhood to sell fentanyl was sentenced Thursday by a U.S. district court judge, said prosecutors.
Elbin Salvador Archaga-Ayestas, aka “Cuco,” received 50 months in federal prison for distribution of fentanyl and international money laundering, announced the Northern District of California Department of Justice (DOJ).
According to court documents, Archaga-Ayestas sold multiple ounces of fentanyl to an undercover officer on May 11, 2023. At the time of his arrest on June 26, 2023, he possessed almost 2.5 kilograms (5.5 pounds) of fentanyl.
Authorities said in the months leading up the arrest, Archaga-Ayestas used Envios Express, a money services business in Oakland, on several occasions to wire money from his fentanyl sales back to his family in Honduras — amounting to more than $10,000. He was charged on December 7, 2023 with one count of distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl and three counts of international money laundering.
Authorities said Archaga-Ayestas evaded Bank Secrecy Act reporting requirements by “using multiple fake wire senders and multiple enlisted recipients in Honduras.”
The DOJ said the prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America, which works in conjunction with the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement and Task Forces to streamline efforts and resources.
In addition to his prison term, Archaga-Ayestas was ordered to serve four years of supervised release.
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