News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: January 23, 2012
Contact: Jodie Underwood
Number: (206) 553-1162

California Man Pleads Guilty to Methamphetamine Trafficking

BOISE, Idaho – Juan Carlos Morales-Cardenas, 37, of San Bernardino, California, pleaded guilty today in United States District Court in Boise to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

According to the plea agreement, Morales-Cardenas joined a group of individuals involved in distributing methamphetamine in Idaho and elsewhere. He supplied methamphetamine to others who transported the methamphetamine to Idaho. The defendant also traveled to Idaho to meet with his co-conspirators, during which time he sold methamphetamine to them. The charge is punishable by a minimum term of 10 years up to life in prison, a maximum fine of $10 million, and at least five years supervised release.

Sentencing is set for April 16, 2012, before U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge at the federal courthouse in Boise.

To date, the following eight co-conspirators have been sentenced to federal prison on related drug trafficking charges:

• Juan Salto-Vivanco, Caldwell, Idaho, 108 months
• Juan Ramirez-Bolanos, Caldwell, 115 months
• Eugenio Arrela-Villa, Caldwell, Idaho, 70 months
• Noel Salto-Vivanco, Caldwell, 87 months
• Fernando Luna-Rodriguez, El Sinore, California, 30 months
• Ricardo Payan-Beltran, Mexican national, 30 months
• Jose Cirilo-Duran, Weiser, Idaho, 27 months
• Francisca Salto-Flores, Caldwell, 13 months

The investigation was the result of a joint investigation of the Organized Crime and Drug
Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), led by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the
Nampa Police Department.