Bay Area man charged with meth trafficking after undercover DEA agent allegedly buys eight pounds
OAKLAND — Federal prosecutors charged a man with selling multiple pounds of methamphetamine to an undercover Drug Enforcement Administration agent working in the East Bay, court records show.
Luis Fuentes-Solis, 32, was charged this week with distribution of a controlled substance, a federal offense that carries a maximum 40-year prison term and a $5 million fine. He remained in pretrial detention at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin and prosecutors have filed a motion to keep him there until the case is resolved.
Fuentes-Solis allegedly met with an undercover DEA agent at the Tom Bates Regional Sports Complex soccer fields on Gillman Street in Berkeley and sold him a pound of methamphetamine. Authorities claim the deal was the result of text message conversations where Fuentes-Solis allegedly told the agent he had “something good” and boasted about having 40 pounds of meth for sale.
Ten days after the first meet-up, Fuentes-Solis allegedly met with the agent at the soccer fields a second time and sold an additional seven pounds, the prosecution motion alleges. Agents arrested him after the second deal.
Prosecutors have portrayed Fuentes-Solis as both a danger to the community and a flight risk, arguing that because he faces possible deportation to Guatemala on top of the criminal charges, he’s likely to flee the area if he’s released. Fuentes-Solis’ lawyer has not yet filed a written response to the prosecution motion, which a judge has yet to rule on, according to court records.
“The government is not aware of whether Fuentes-Solis has any community ties, is gainfully employed, or if he has any viable custodians or sureties that could step forward to ensure that he does not flee or otherwise re-engage in drug trafficking,” the prosecution motion says.
For now, Fuentes-Solis is being held without bail. He was arrested Dec. 17.