A federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment today againstOmar Felix-Corrales, 38, and Valeria Silvas Villarreal, 23, both of Mexico, charging them with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin, and Felix-Corrales alone with possession of a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, On July 28, 2017, the defendants met with a law enforcement informant in a home improvement store parking lot in Bakersfield to sell the informant two kilograms of China-white heroin for $56,000. When the informant gave a pre?arranged signal to nearby agents that drugs were present, agents rushed to the scene and arrested the defendants. At the time of his arrest, Felix-Corrales was found to have a loaded 9 mm Berretta pistol tucked into the waistband of his pants. 

This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the California Highway Patrol, and the Bakersfield Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian K. Delaney is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, the defendants face a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine. 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 are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.