Stanislaus Man Pleads Guilty to Distributing Fentanyl in Operation Blue Death

FRESNO, Calif. - Andrew Rodriguez, 30, of Ceres, pleaded guilty to possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute in connection with a drug and firearm trafficking conspiracy, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.

According to court documents, Operation Blue Death, an investigation into drug and illegal firearm trafficking in Stanislaus County, resulted in the arrest of seven individuals engaged in selling fentanyl and firearms between September 2022, and June 2023.

Throughout March and April 2023, co-defendant Arturo Madrid sold several firearms and thousands of fentanyl pills, including one instance on April 21, 2023, where Madrid sold 6,000 fentanyl pills and a Draco (PAK 9 9mm Luger) rifle.

On June 13, 2023, Andrew Rodriguez and co-defendants Olga Arreola, Arturo Madrid, and Enrique DeLeon arrived at a location in Stanislaus to complete a pre-arranged purchase of 50,000 fentanyl pills. Officers arrested the four defendants shortly after they arrived. When officers arrested Rodriguez, he had two handguns, a short-barreled rifle, an AR-15 style firearm, and 30,000 fentanyl pills in his car. Additionally, officers seized an AK-style Draco rifle Arreola brought to the drug deal and had at his feet during his arrest. Co-defendant DeLeon had approximately 30,000 fentanyl pills inside a briefcase in his vehicle when officers arrested him.

In total, seven individuals were charged with drug and firearm trafficking offenses in a seventeen-count indictment. Their status, based on court records, includes:

• Andrew Rodriguez is scheduled to be sentenced on November 16, 2026.
• Arturo Madrid, 30, of Modesto, pleaded guilty to distributing fentanyl and possession of a firearm as a felon. He was sentenced to 135 months in prison on November 17, 2025.
• Enrique Cruz DeLeon, 29, of Salida, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 30,000 fentanyl pills. He was sentenced to 135 months in prison on April 21, 2025.
• Ebony Lambert, 49, of Turlock, pleaded guilty to distributing fentanyl. She was sentenced to 24 months in prison on August 25, 2025.
• Oleg Arreola, 29, of Modesto, pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm as a felon. He was sentenced to 135 months in prison on March 9, 2026.
• Donnell Mays, 51, of Turlock, pleaded guilty to distributing fentanyl. He was sentenced to 94 months in prison on July 13, 2026.
• Andrew Madrid is set for trial on September 22, 2026. According to court documents, Madrid is charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and distributing fentanyl. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges against Andrew Madrid are only allegations; he is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case was investigated by the Stanislaus Sherriff's Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Cody S. Chapple and Chan Hee Chu are prosecuting the case.

This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) and Operation Take Back America initiatives. HSTFs, which were established by President Trump in Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion, are joint operations led by the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide federal initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).