This article has been updated on March 23, at 1:50 PM, from its original printed version.
Colusa County Superior Court Judge Jeffrey A. Thompson on Monday said there was sufficient evidence presented at a preliminary hearing to charge Jose Alejandro Alvarez, 42, and his brother Daniel Moreno, 23, of Arbuckle, on suspicion of possessing controlled substances for sale.
The arrest stems from a July 28 raid on Moreno’s mother’s home in the 700 block of Second Street, which turned up about 4 grams of fentanyl, enough lethal doses to kill approximately 1,000 people, according to the testimony of Deputy John Thomas, who led the Colusa County Narcotics Task Force team that served a search warrant on the Moreno home.
The home had been under surveillance for some time as a possible drug house.
According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, fentanyl is the deadliest drug threat facing this country. It is a highly addictive synthetic opioid that is 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine. Just two milligrams of fentanyl, the small amount that fits on the tip of a pencil, is considered a potentially deadly dose.
Alvarez is also changed with being a felon in possession of a firearm. The stolen handgun was loaded when it was found under the driver’s seat of the car Alvarez reportedly exited in the driveway of the home when he was arrested, Thomas said.
The brothers are scheduled to be arraigned on May 7 and are currently out of jail on bond. ■