California Man Charged With Trafficking 9 Pounds Of Fentanyl-Laced Pills

California Man Charged With Trafficking 9 Pounds Of Fentanyl-Laced Pills

Jennie Taer on March 18, 2022

A California man was charged with trafficking 9.1 pounds of fentanyl-laced pills from Los Angeles to Kansas City, Missouri, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said Thursday.

Matthew John Gomez, 27, was caught on March 16 by authorities in Kansas City, where he got off a bus that arrived from Los Angeles, according to the DOJ.

Members of the Missouri Western Interdiction Task Force watched as Gomez got off the bus with his backpack and large duffel bag, the DOJ said. Gomez was seen pacing while on the phone after he exited the bus terminal.

A police detective contacted Gomez, who allegedly said he planned to travel to Minneapolis. The detective asked Gomez if he would allow a baggage search, at which point Gomez began setting his bags down and then attempted to flee, according to the DOJ.

Fake pills are more lethal than ever before. #DEA lab testing reveals that 4 out of every 10 pills with #fentanyl contain a potentially deadly dose. For more information, visit https://t.co/E2u1lkOhme #OnePillCanKill #TipTuesday pic.twitter.com/Q7nWsGrA6R

— DEA HQ (@DEAHQ) January 4, 2022

Gomez was arrested after a brief struggle; a search of his bags revealed three large, heat-sealed packages of blue M30 pills, which typically contain 30 milligrams of oxycodone hydrochloride. However, the Kansas City Police Crime Laboratory confirmed that the pills contained fentanyl, the DOJ said.

The pills weighed 4,127 grams, which is around 9.1 pounds. Gomez said he was paid $500 before departing Los Angeles and would have been paid $2,000 upon his return, according to the DOJ.