“We are grateful to law enforcement officers on the local, state and federal level who work to rid our communities of illegal drugs and drug trafficking which contribute to violence and unsafe neighborhoods.” – CSLEA President Alan Barcelona

FRESNO- On May 30, 2023, Florentino Gutierrez, 41, of Hanford, was sentenced to 21 years and 10 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams and more of a mixture containing methamphetamine.

Gutierrez was one of 21 drug traffickers charged federally as a result of Operation Red Reaper, a multi-agency investigation into the criminal activities of individuals associated with the Kings and Tulare County Nuestra Familia prison gang.

According to court documents, in April and May 2019, Gutierrez conspired with others to traffic more than 2 kilograms of methamphetamine. Gutierrez’s plan included using his Cadillac Escalade as collateral to purchase the methamphetamine. His co-conspirators then traveled from Hanford to Bakersfield, where they picked up the methamphetamine. On the return trip, investigators stopped the car, searched it, and seized five bags containing a total of over 2 kilograms of methamphetamine.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Kings County Gang Task Force, the Special Operations Unit of the California Department of Justice and the California Highway Patrol; the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation; the Kings County District Attorney’s Office; and the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office.