When federal authorities raided a luxury downtown Los Angeles apartment believed to be a stash house, they found more than 42 kilos of fentanyl, an AR-15 rifle, a gold-plated pistol and a small alligator, the Justice Department announced Tuesday.
Marvin Angelito, 27, and Susan Gonzalez, 26, who were occupying the apartment in the Olympic + Hill building, were arrested Sept. 10 and charged with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
Magistrate Judge Karen L. Stevenson ordered Angelito detained, but released Gonzalez on a $15,000 bond. They have yet to enter pleas in response to the charges.
If convicted, Angelito and Gonzalez could face up to life in prison. Angelito’s attorney declined to comment and Gonzalez’s attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Federal agents were first tipped off to the luxury building, where one-bedrooms can go for more than $3,000 a month, as they conducted surveillance and controlled-buy operations targeting an L.A.-based fentanyl trafficking organization, according to a criminal complaint charging Angelito and Gonzalez.
Over the summer, an FBI confidential source arranged to pay $125,000 for 500,000 “M30” fentanyl pills from an alleged drug trafficker named Anthony Rea, according to the complaint. After Rea agreed to video call and show the drugs to the confidential source, federal agents tracked him and an associate to the apartment building on Olympic Boulevard, FBI special agent Brent James wrote in an affidavit.
On the video call, Rea’s associate told the confidential source about the “stash house” apartment, stating that the place is “official” and “cartel s— over here,” according to James.
The next day, the confidential source met with Rea to exchange the money for the drugs, authorities said.
After the August deal, Brent traced Angelito to Unit 4513 and determined that he and Gonzalez were likely the sole occupants. Around 5:30 a.m. on Sept. 10, Brent and his team raided the unit, where Angelito and Gonzalez were asleep in the bedroom.
During an initial search, authorities used a K-9 to search for hidden compartments. After the dog became disoriented and began to collapse due to suspected fentanyl exposure, the K-9 handler had to use Narcan to revive the animal, according to the complaint.
Federal agents seized around 42.6 kilograms — or just under 94 pounds — of fentanyl pills and powder, around a kilogram of heroin in the kitchen cabinet, 7.2 kilograms of cocaine, laboratory equipment — including beakers, mixers, stirrers and torches — and a hydraulic press.
Authorities also seized an AR-15 rifle with ammunition found in a hallway closet, a gold-plated Desert Eagle .50-caliber pistol with ammunition located on the kitchen counter and a police radio.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agents took possession of the small alligator that was found on the premises.
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