California man pleads guilty in fentanyl case that resulted in teen’s death following HSI San Diego, multiagency investigation
SAN DIEGO — A San Diego man pleaded guilty in federal court Oct. 4 to possession with intent to distribute pills laced with fentanyl that killed a 19-year old Poway resident on Jan. 3. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with the assistance of the San Diego Sheriff’s Office and the DEA, investigated the case.
“Fentanyl kills indiscriminately, and the defendants’ callous and irresponsible disregard led to the tragic death of a teenager,” said HSI San Diego Special Agent in Charge Chad Plantz. “Overdoses due to fentanyl have dramatically increased; this is unacceptable. I commend the work of the HSI special agents and our partners who work tirelessly every single day to stop preventable drug poisonings from taking so many lives too soon.”
Jose Daniel Ramirez, 20, of San Diego, admitted to selling the fentanyl pills disguised as oxycodone to the victim — referred to as K.W. P. in court documents — and others. In a series of text messages, Ramirez agreed to sell “2 blues” to K.W.P. A few hours after receiving and consuming the pills, K.W.P. was found dead of a fentanyl overdose. After learning of K.W.P.’s death, Ramirez changed his phone number, informed clients of his new number, and continued to sell fentanyl.
On Feb. 8, 2023, law enforcement officers arrested Ramirez. Following Ramirez’s arrest, investigators secured a warrant and searched his residence, where they found two Glock handguns, over 250 rounds of various ammunition, and approximately 2,600 blue pills containing fentanyl along with cocaine and other drugs. One of the handguns was fully loaded with a round of ammunition in the chamber.
“It is outrageous that this defendant continued to sell fentanyl even after learning of their customers’ deaths,” said acting U.S. Attorney Andrew Haden. “Fentanyl deaths resulting from the actions of profit seeking drug dealers will continue to be zealously prosecuted.”
“Since 2017, the San Diego Sheriff's Department has been a leader in investigating drug overdose death cases,” said San Diego County Sheriff Kelly Martinez. “The Sheriff's Department is dedicated to identifying and arresting fentanyl dealers who provide this deadly drug to our communities. During this investigation, Mr. Ramirez continued selling this dangerous drug, but we were able to stop him in the act of selling fentanyl to an 18-year-old at the time of his arrest. The actions of all involved likely saved the life of another teenager. We are proud of the collaborative effort of Sheriff's FAST Detective Morse and his federal partners with Homeland Security Investigations, Customs and Border Protection, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the United States attorney's office. The Sheriff's Department will continue in these partnerships and target these dangerous drug dealers in our continued effort to combat this deadly epidemic.”
Ramirez is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 3, 2024, at 9 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Ruth Bermudez Montenegro.
This case is the result of a close collaboration between the U.S. attorney’s office and the HSI-led Fentanyl Abatement and Suppression Team (FAST), a joint federal, state and local law enforcement task force that targets fentanyl smuggling and distribution networks in the Southern District of California. FAST is a partnership between members of HSI, the United States attorney’s office, the DEA, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Marshals Service, the FBI, California’s Department of Justice, U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, and the Escondido Police Department.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean Van Demark and Dylan M. Aste.
HSI is the principal investigative arm of DHS, responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, specifically those criminal organizations that exploit the global infrastructure through which international trade, travel, and finance move. HSI’s workforce of more than 8,700 employees consists of more than 6,000 special agents assigned to 237 cities throughout the United States, and 93 overseas locations in 56 countries. HSI’s international presence represents DHS’ largest investigative law enforcement presence abroad and one of the largest international footprints in U.S. law enforcement.
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