RENO, Nev. (KOLO) – Three people were sentenced to prison for trafficking large amounts of methamphetamine in Reno.
The DOJ says Saul Nolasco, Maria Valenzuela, and Xochitl Sanchez-Pacheco all participated in drug buys involving pounds of meth for thousands of dollars. In total, more than 72 pounds of meth were distributed in Reno.
All three pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance. Nolasco will serve 41 months in prison, Valenzuela will serve 33 months in prison, while Sanchez-Pacheco will serve 30 months in prison.
The DOJ says that from Jan. 20, 2023, to Oct. 8, 2023, the trio conspired to distribute 72 pounds of meth in the Reno area.
Nolasco worked with his brother, who was located in Mexico. The DOJ says that Valenzuela and Sanchez-Pacheco are also both of Mexico. Nolasco acted as the organization’s “boots on the ground” in both Nevada and California. He collected and handled cash payments, obtained and stored large quantities of meth at his house, and distributed large quantities of meth to various buyers in Reno and elsewhere.
Valenzuela, meanwhile, conducted multiple drug transactions involving multiple pounds of meth and was responsible for the delivery of the drugs as well as the collection of cash payments of thousands of dollars on behalf of the organization. In November 2023, Valenzuela was caught at the border moving 97 pounds of meth across the southern border.
Sanchez-Pacheco delivered large quantities of meth in Reno and Modesto, California. She collected money associated with the deliveries, one of which involved $5,500.
A fourth co-defendant, 54-year-old Bobby Jo Kissel, pleaded guilty in October 2024 and is awaiting sentencing.
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