Detectives from the Regional Narcotics Unit (RNU) have arrested two suspects following a months-long investigation into the sale and distribution of fentanyl in Washoe County.
On January 23, 2024, Regional Narcotics Unit detectives, with the assistance of High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) task force members from the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office K9 team and the Nevada State Police, arrested San Francisco residents, 27-year-old Luisa-Mariela Cardona-Valle and 22-year-old Luis Fernando Chavez-Navarro, in Washoe County on multiple drug-related charges.
Cardona-Valle and Chavez-Navarro were transported to the Washoe County Detention Facility, where they are being held on two felony counts of possession of a controlled substance 200+ grams, two felony counts of trafficking a controlled substance 400+ grams, and two felony counts of intent to sell a controlled substance.
During the course of this investigation, a total of 17.03 pounds of fentanyl, 2.25 pounds of methamphetamine, and multiple firearms, including rifles and handguns, were recovered.
The amount of fentanyl seized in this case is equivalent to approximately 3.8 million lethal doses, which is approximately seven times the population of Washoe County.
The Regional Narcotics Unit is comprised of detectives from the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office, Reno Police Department, Sparks Police Department, Homeland Security, and the Nevada Counter Drug Task Force.
