California Attorney General Rob Bonta has announced a 10-year sentence for Jose Hector Ruiz on felony charges related to the transportation of a controlled substance weighing more than four kilograms. This decision follows a joint operation in San Diego County, which led to the seizure of 720,000 fentanyl pills.
The arrest took place in February 2024 after an investigation involving the Department of Homeland Security’s Fentanyl Abatement & Suppression Team (FAST), the California Department of Justice’s San Diego Fentanyl Enforcement Program (SD FEP), the United States Border Patrol, and the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department. Ruiz was apprehended in Alpine while driving a vehicle containing a significant quantity of fentanyl.
Attorney General Bonta stated, “Today, I want to remind Californians that our work will continue until illicit fentanyl stops destroying lives. This sentence would not have been possible without the strong partnership between our Fentanyl Enforcement Program and the FAST Task Force.” He emphasized the ongoing efforts by his department to protect California families from fentanyl dangers through enforcement actions and legal measures against the opioid industry.
Shawn Gibson, special agent in charge for Homeland Security Investigations in San Diego, commented on the collaboration: “FAST represents the kind of focused and strategic partnership needed to confront the fentanyl crisis head-on. This multiagency effort and lengthy sentencing demonstrate how combining resources and expertise is making communities safer.”
The operation resulted in removing 110 packages from Ruiz’s vehicle, with a combined weight of 158.5 pounds. The packages contained blue pills marked “M30,” identified as containing fentanyl. The prosecution was managed by the California Department of Justice’s Special Prosecutions Section.
HSI FAST is a multiagency task force created in August 2022 to combat criminal organizations smuggling and distributing fentanyl within San Diego County. It aims to reduce overdose rates and limit fentanyl availability by targeting smuggling networks.
As part of its broader efforts, by April 2025, DOJ reported seizing over 15 million fentanyl pills and nearly 7,000 pounds of fentanyl powder while arresting over 500 suspects on related charges.
An image from this seizure is available online along with access to view the complaint details.
