FRESNO  -  Roberto Cavazos, 43, of Porterville, was sentenced today to 12 years and seven months in prison for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, Cavazos negotiated for the purchase of 1 pound of methamphetamine from Pedro Delgado-Montenegro, 42, a former Porterville resident and native and citizen of Mexico, who supplied the drug to Cavazos through a third party.

Cavazos is one of nine defendants, including Delgado-Montenegro, charged in the case. Delgado-Montenegro is a fugitive. Co-defendant Renato Aguilera is scheduled for sentencing in federal court on April 29, 2022. Aguilera faces a mandatory minimum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison, and a $10 million fine. The actual sentence, however, will 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.

Charges are pending against the remaining defendants. The charges are only allegations; they are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Porterville Police Department, the Coalinga Police Department, and the Fresno Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar is prosecuting the case.