Five Hondurans arrested for involvement in Utah drug ring
Jul 6, 2022, 4:10 PM
FILE (Tooele County Sheriff's Office Facebook Page)
(Tooele County Sheriff's Office Facebook Page)
TOOELE COUNTY, Utah – Five Honduran nationals were arrested in a drug bust conducted by the Utah Attorney General’s Office and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement last week.
According to arresting documents, Fernando Josue Baca-Diaz, 19, Marco Javier Diaz-Canales, 23, Iris Jackeline Gomez-Serrano, 29, Nery Barahoma-Lorenzana, 32, and Efran Adonay Diaz-Cruz, 30, were arrested in connection of distributing drugs and human trafficking in Utah on June 29.
Before the bust, an undercover agent met with Canales to purchase cocaine and heroin from the group. Canales told the agent that his brother, Diaz, would meet with them and sell the agent the drugs.
Diaz arrived at that meeting and sold the undercover agent drugs.
Both suspects also met the agent a second time to sell them more cocaine and heroin.
Diaz, Canales, and Cruz were found leaving their home at 8140 Round Rock Road, Lake Point, on the day of the raid. Authorities arrested them without issues as they raided the house.
Serrano and Lorenzana were found in the home and taken into custody without incident.
In one of the basement bedrooms, authorities found “large quantities of heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine, thousands of suspected fentanyl pills, packaging materials, cash, and a firearm” and about 6 kilos of methamphetamine.
Authorities also found a “small baby and a young girl around 6 or 7 years old” in that bedroom.
According to arresting documents, authorities found more “large quantities of heroin, a 9mm firearm, and cash” in the bedroom of Serrano and Cruz.
Diaz, Canales, and Cruz were found in possession of “heroin, cocaine, and suspected fentanyl pills” when arrested.
In post-Miranda interviews, Serrano told authorities that Cruz is her husband, and she knew about his drug dealings and what was in their bedroom.
Diaz, Canales, and Cruz admitted to authorities that they were selling drugs.
Cruz also stated that if one of the firearms was connected to a crime, it wasn’t tied to him, and he would tell authorities where he got it.
Lorenzana claims he “came here ‘to work'” and arrived the day before the bust. He said everyone else in the house is unemployed and involved in the drug ring.
All suspects were arrested for distributing, offering, or arranging distribution of a controlled substance.
Serrano and Cruz are facing additional charges of endangerment of a child. Cruz also was charged with possession of a firearm by a restricted person.
ICE Agents confirmed that all suspects were unlawfully in the country with no status. Serrano is the only one with Immigration proceedings with the ICE office.
