Three Defendants Arrested in Multi-County Meth Distribution

BOISE - Diego Alejandro Alcantar-Armenta, 29, and Daniel Valdenegro-Zafiro, 24, of Elko, Nevada, and Jose Antonio Diaz-Juarez, 44, of Grandview, Idaho, were indicted on September 9, 2015, by a federal grand jury in Boise for one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and two counts of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced.  An initial appearance was held on September 18, 2015, for all of the defendants.

The Indictment alleges that between July 24, 2015, and September 8, 2015, the defendants conspired with each other to distribute methamphetamine in the state of Idaho.  On two occasions the defendants are alleged to have possessed with the intent to distribute methamphetamine in Ada County.

The penalties for the charges vary—depending on the facts for each charge—from not more than twenty years in prison, to not less than five years mandatory minimum up to forty.   The maximum fine for each of the charged offenses varies from $1,000,000 to $5,000,000.  The number of years of supervised release following any incarceration for the charged offenses varies from three years to four years.

A trial is set for November 16, 2015, before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Boise.

The case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Ada County Sheriff’s Office, Elmore County Sheriff’s Office, Owyhee County Sheriff’s Office, and the Elko Combined Narcotic Unit of Elko, Nevada.

The case is being prosecuted by the Special Assistant U.S. Attorney hired by the Ada County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office and the Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Board.  The Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Board is a collaboration of local law enforcement drug task forces and prosecuting agencies dedicated to addressing regional drug trafficking organizations that operate in Ada, Canyon, and Malheur County.

An indictment is a means of charging a person with criminal activity.  It is not evidence.  The person is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.