Springfield Man Convicted of Trafficking Cocaine from Mexico into Northern Virginia

ALEXANDRIA, VA—Fernando Reynoso Avalos, 25, of Springfield, Virginia, was convicted yesterday by a federal jury of importing narcotics from Mexico and distributing them in Maryland and Northern Virginia.

Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Ronald Hosko, Special Agent in Charge of the Criminal Division at the FBI Washington Field Office; and Colonel David Rohrer, Fairfax County Chief of Police, made the announcement after the verdict was accepted by United States District Judge Anthony J. Trenga. Convicted of conspiring to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, Avalos faces a maximum penalty of life imprisonment when he is sentenced on May 27, 2011.

“The disruption of cocaine trafficking organizations that import drugs from countries such as Mexico into our area continues to be a high priority for the United States Attorney’s Office,” said U.S. Attorney MacBride. “Without the mutual and coordinated efforts of federal and local partners, such a prosecution would not have been possible.”

“The FBI remains vigilant to investigating those involved in drug trafficking outfits that can contribute to violence and crime in our communities and have a propensity to create underground economies,” said FBI SAC Hosko.

Avalos was indicted on April 13, 2010. According to court records and evidence at trial, Avalos and a partner ran the cocaine distribution operation locally for the organization from August 2008 until March 2009. Avalos and others imported the drugs from their source of supply in Mexico and distributed them in Maryland and Northern Virginia until Avalos fled from the United States in March of 2009. After returning to Mexico, Avalos then coordinated the supply of cocaine to the Northern Virginia region until October 2009. Evidence showed that the organization distributed up to 20 to 30 kilograms of cocaine at a time and was responsible for distributing large quantities of drugs throughout the region. Avalos was arrested after illegally crossing the border of the United States in April 2010.

This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office and Fairfax County Police Department. Special Assistant United States Attorneys Scott Nussbum and Paul Rosen are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/vae. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at vaed.uscourts.gov or on pacer.uspci.uscourts.gov.