Elderly couple sentenced for major meth trafficking operation in Idaho
BOISE, Idaho (CBS2) — Husband and wife 81-year-old Efren Avilez-Lopez and 70-year-old Maria Medina-Zeveda, both Mexican nationals illegally living in Ontario, Oregon, were sentenced for trafficking large amounts of methamphetamine in Idaho, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced on Wednesday.
On Feb. 12, 2024, Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Nye sentenced Avilez-Lopez to nine years in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. On Feb. 13, 2024, Chief Judge Nye sentenced Medina-Zeveda to 37 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Both Avilez-Lopez and Medina-Zeveda were ordered to serve three years of supervised release. Both will be deported after completing their sentences.
According to court records, Avilez-Lopez and Medina-Zeveda sold an undercover officer five pounds of methamphetamine in a Nampa store parking lot on April 15, 2023. On April 25, 2023, they both sold an undercover officer 20 pounds of methamphetamine in a Nampa store parking lot.
Avilez-Lopez and Medina-Zeveda then drove from Ontario to Los Angeles on May 12, 2023, to pick up a large load of methamphetamine. On their way home, law enforcement stopped them in Owyhee County, where they were discovered transporting four family members, including a minor child.
A dog trained and certified to detect the odor of illegal drugs was alerted on the vehicle. When officers searched the car, they located 21 pounds of methamphetamine in the floorboards.
"These defendants were a driving force behind a significant drug trafficking organization that, thanks to law enforcement, has been dismantled," said U.S. Attorney Hurwit. "While it is not common for us to find drug traffickers at this stage of life, make no mistake: these defendants earned their sentences. We will continue to do our part to ensure that justice is applied fairly and equitably to all, regardless of age or background."
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