Arizona Resident Pleads Guilty To Trafficking Large Load Of Heroin And Methamphetamine

BOISE – Jesse Ramirez-Orta, 27, of Phoenix, Arizona, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute five hundred grams or more of methamphetamine and one kilogram or more of heroin, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced.

According to court documents, Ramirez-Orta and his co-defendant Marina Morales were traveling from Phoenix, Arizona to Seattle, Washington, in order to deliver 5.3 pounds of heroin and 4.2 pounds of methamphetamine. Ramirez-Orta was stopped for speeding in Twin Falls, Idaho. Neither Ramirez-Orta nor Morales had a valid driver’s license. The vehicle was impounded and the drugs were discovered in the trunk of the vehicle.

The charge carries a maximum punishment of up to life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years imprisonment, a fine of up to $10,000,000, and a minimum term of five years of supervised release. Sentencing is scheduled for February 13, 2015, before U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge in Boise, Idaho. Co-defendant Marina Morales is scheduled for trial on December 16, 2014.

The case was investigated by the Twin Falls County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration.