SLC Times

A federal grand jury in Salt Lake City has indicted a foreign national residing in Utah on multiple drug-related charges. The individual, Luis Refugio Brindas Guzman, 27, from Salt Lake County, was initially charged by complaint on October 4, 2024.

Court documents reveal that the FBI Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force initiated an investigation into Guzman and other members of a suspected drug trafficking organization in July 2024. This group was believed to be distributing significant quantities of narcotics within the District of Utah. In October 2024, undercover officers set up a transaction to purchase methamphetamine. Guzman arrived at the location in a Nissan Rogue, where agents seized approximately 6,682 grams of methamphetamine, two grams of heroin, and a marijuana roach during their search. Subsequently, Guzman was taken into custody.

Further investigation led agents to execute a search warrant at Guzman's residence. There they found approximately 7,145 grams of methamphetamine, 1,215 grams of heroin, 3,587 grams of fentanyl (equivalent to about 35,000 pills), and a 9mm handgun.

Guzman faces charges including possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, heroin and fentanyl; alien in possession of a firearm and ammunition; and reentry after deportation. His initial court appearance for these charges took place on October 31, 2024 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in Salt Lake City.

The announcement came from United States Attorney Trina A. Higgins for the District of Utah.

The case is under investigation by the FBI Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force (WMDTF) and is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah.

This operation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) initiative aimed at identifying and dismantling high-level criminal organizations threatening the United States through coordinated efforts among various agencies.

It should be noted that an indictment is merely an allegation; all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt in court.