Seven Charged in Las Vegas Fentanyl Trafficking Case Following Major Drug, Cash and Firearm Seizures

Las Vegas, Nevada — August 7, 2026 — Seven people have been charged in a federal criminal complaint alleging their involvement in a fentanyl-trafficking organization that operated in the Las Vegas area from at least 2024 through August 2, 2026.

The complaint, prepared by Homeland Security Investigations, accuses the defendants of participating in an organization responsible for possessing and distributing large quantities of fentanyl. Law enforcement previously seized approximately 40 kilograms of fentanyl and $200,000 in cash from vehicles reportedly operated by the organization.

The seven defendants are Adrian Ortiz Moreno, also known as “El Apache”; Brenda Maria Moreno De Castro; Martin Castro Jr.; David Romero Hernandez; Edgar Rosas; Juan Martinez Ramirez; and Walter Estrada Carlos.

Adrian Ortiz Moreno is identified as a Mexican national. Brenda Maria Moreno De Castro is identified as a Mexican national and lawful permanent resident of the United States. Juan Martinez Ramirez and Walter Estrada Carlos are also identified as Mexican nationals.

Federal prosecutors allege that Adrian Ortiz Moreno and Brenda Maria Moreno De Castro engaged in a continuing criminal enterprise with their co-defendants to distribute at least 400 grams of fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance.

The complaint identifies all seven defendants as principal administrators, organizers, supervisors or leaders involved in the alleged possession and distribution of fentanyl.

Adrian Ortiz Moreno and Brenda Maria Moreno De Castro are each charged with one count of engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.

Adrian Ortiz Moreno, Brenda Maria Moreno De Castro and Walter Estrada Carlos are each charged with one count of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute.

Martin Castro Jr., David Romero Hernandez, Edgar Rosas, Juan Martinez Ramirez and Walter Estrada Carlos are each charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.

Martin Castro Jr. is also charged with one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.

Law enforcement executed search warrants at two residential properties on August 2. At the first residence, authorities recovered a substantial amount of cash and 12 firearms, including semiautomatic rifles and a gold-and-black semiautomatic firearm engraved with the words “EL APACHE.”

At the second residence, investigators recovered 36 wrapped packages consistent with packages containing fentanyl previously seized from a vehicle associated with the organization. Authorities also recovered two semiautomatic pistols and one semiautomatic rifle from that property.

The residential searches followed the earlier seizures of 40 kilograms of fentanyl and approximately $200,000 in cash from vehicles operated by the organization, according to the complaint.

The combined seizures represent the removal of a substantial quantity of fentanyl, multiple rifles and handguns, and suspected proceeds connected to the alleged trafficking operation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office did not identify the intended destinations for the fentanyl or provide an estimated street value for the drugs.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office also did not state whether the seized pills or packages were disguised as prescription medication, identify a source of supply, name additional organizations connected to the defendants or disclose whether further arrests are expected.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada said fentanyl traffickers frequently disguise the substance as ordinary prescription pills, creating a serious risk for teenagers and young adults who may not know what they are consuming.

Chattah described the case as an effort to dismantle a major supply chain that placed profit above human life and said federal authorities would continue targeting organizations distributing fentanyl in local communities.

Jonathan Sherwin, deputy special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations Las Vegas, said trafficking fentanyl at the scale described in the complaint represents a direct threat to public safety and homeland security.

Sherwin said the quantities of fentanyl, firearms and suspected proceeds recovered during the operation demonstrate the danger presented by trafficking organizations. He credited the Homeland Security Task Force structure with bringing agencies together to disrupt networks moving narcotics through Nevada and other jurisdictions.

Special Agent in Charge Christopher S. Delzotto of the FBI Las Vegas Field Office said the charges resulted from cooperation among the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Internal Revenue Service, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, U.S. Marshals Service and Nevada Gaming Commission.

Delzotto said the operation removed dangerous drugs and firearms from the community and pledged continued cooperation against organizations responsible for distributing fentanyl.

Anthony Chrysanthis, special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration Los Angeles Field Division, which oversees Las Vegas, said federal agencies are coordinating their resources to disrupt the distribution systems used by drug-trafficking organizations.

Chrysanthis said the operation removed potentially deadly drugs, firearms and suspected illicit proceeds while demonstrating the task force’s coordinated approach to narcotics enforcement.

John Wester, special agent in charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives San Francisco Field Division, said the operation demonstrated how federal, state and local agencies can combine their personnel and resources against sophisticated transnational organizations.

Wester said ATF assisted its law enforcement partners in removing firearms, narcotics and suspected trafficking proceeds while disrupting infrastructure connected to the alleged organization.

U.S. Marshal Gary Schofield credited the interagency structure of the Homeland Security Task Force with allowing participating agencies to combine their enforcement capabilities against cartels, violent gangs and trafficking organizations attempting to establish operations in Nevada.

Four defendants appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Maximiliano D. Couvillier, III, on Tuesday. Three of those defendants were remanded to custody. The U.S. Attorney’s Office did not identify which four defendants appeared or which three remained detained.

Detention before trial is not a determination of guilt. The court considers separate legal factors when deciding whether a defendant should remain in custody while a case is pending.

If convicted, the defendants could face a maximum statutory penalty of life imprisonment. The maximum penalty does not establish the sentence that any individual defendant would receive.

Any sentence would be determined by the court after considering the specific counts of conviction, applicable federal statutes, individual circumstances and the federal Sentencing Guidelines.

The investigation was conducted through the Las Vegas Homeland Security Task Force. Participating agencies included the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, U.S. Marshals Service and Nevada Gaming Commission.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada is prosecuting the case.

The Homeland Security Task Force initiative was established under Executive Order 14159, titled “Protecting the American People Against Invasion.” The initiative combines federal, state and local resources to pursue cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human-smuggling and trafficking networks operating within the United States and abroad.

The Las Vegas task force includes federal agents, state authorities and local officers, with federal prosecutions led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada.

The allegations contained in the criminal complaint have not been proven in court. Adrian Ortiz Moreno, Brenda Maria Moreno De Castro, Martin Castro Jr., David Romero Hernandez, Edgar Rosas, Juan Martinez Ramirez and Walter Estrada Carlos are presumed innocent unless and until prosecutors prove their guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

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