Operation Mercury Cases
Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Here’s how you know

Dot gov

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Https

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( Lock A locked padlock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

United States Drug Enforcement Administration

  • Get Updates
  • Scam Alert
  • Full Menu
  • English
  • Español

Main Menu

Explore DEA
  • Who We Are
    • About
    • Mission
    • History
    • Divisions
    • DEA Museum
    • Wall of Honor
    • Contact Us
  • What We Do
    • Forensic Sciences
    • Law Enforcement
    • Education and Prevention
    • Drug Information
    • News
    • Campaigns
  • Careers
    • Special Agent
    • Diversion Investigator
    • Intelligence Research Specialist
    • Forensic Sciences Careers
    • Professional & Administrative Careers
    • Student & Entry Level Careers
    • Employment Eligibility
    • How to Apply
  • Resources
    • Illegal Online Pharmacies
    • OD Justice
    • Fentanyl Supply Chain
    • Pill Press Resources
    • Recovery Resources
    • Together for Families
    • Data and Statistics
    • FOIA
    • Publications
    • Media Galleries
    • Victim Witness Assistance Program
  • Submit A Tip

Breadcrumb

  • Home
  • Operation Mercury Cases

Operation Mercury Cases

January 07, 2014
|
Share Article
|
Download Press Release
For Immediate Release
Contact: Akilah Johnson
Phone Number: (415) 436-7994

FRESNO, Calif.) - Today, one marijuana cultivator entered a guilty plea and one was sentenced for their involvement in separate cases resulting from Operation Mercury, a six-county eradication and enforcement effort that focused on large-scale marijuana cultivation operations on agricultural land in the Central Valley, Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Jay Fitzpatrick and U.S. Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced.

4,011 Marijuana Plants Seized in (1:12-cr-234 LJO) -

Bonifacio Cano Gutierrez, 20, of Colima, Mexico, was sentenced today to two years and six months in prison following his guilty plea last October to a marijuana cultivation conspiracy. He is subject to deportation to Mexico upon completion of his prison sentence. Cano was the seventh of eight defendants to plead guilty to conspiring to cultivate, distribute and possess with intent to distribute marijuana on 20-acres of agricultural land in Alpaugh owned by Saul Antonio Morales, 49. Cano was responsible for the cultivation of 899 marijuana plants in one of 14 plywood fenced plots on Morales' property, which contained a total of 4,011 marijuana plants.

Cano had an expired medical marijuana recommendation from a doctor he had never seen. (The doctor has been indicted in a separate federal case with the unlawful distribution of oxycodone and hydrocodone, as well as various financial crimes.) Court documents indicate that Cano would get a cut of the profits from the interstate sale of marijuana from Morales' son, Gerardo Morales, 20, who was sentenced in November to three years and one month in prison for this drug conspiracy.

In October, a federal jury convicted Saul Morales, the property owner, of four narcotics offenses relating to the marijuana cultivation operation. He faces a mandatory minimum prison term of 10 years in prison, a maximum prison term of life, and a fine of up to $4 million. His sentencing is currently set for January 27, 2014. The actual sentence, however, will 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.

This case was the product of an investigation by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement'(ICE) Homeland Security (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms and Explosives, and Tulare County Sheriff's Office.

2,932 Marijuana Plants Seized in (1:12-cr- 341 LJO -

Phonepaseuth Phaphilom, 27, of Fresno, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to cultivate, distribute and possess with intent to distribute marijuana grown on an agricultural parcel on Marks Avenue in rural southwest Fresno. During the execution of a federal search warrant there, narcotics agents found Phaphilom with four other men from out of the area, 2,932 marijuana plants, and a firearm. Phaphilom, who was detained pretrial based in part on a criminal history that included weapons and narcotics violations, said he was going to sell the marijuana "up North" for $800 a pound. Based on a conservative one pound per plant yield, the cultivation operation was valued at over $2.3 million. In addition, court records indicate that some of the marijuana was destined for Las Vegas.

Phaphilom is scheduled for sentencing on March 17, 2014. He faces a maximum prison sentence of 20 years and a fine of up to $1 million. The actual sentence, however, will 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.

This case was the product of an investigation by the DEA and Fresno County Sheriff's Office. Operation Mercury has so far resulted in the seizure of nearly half a million marijuana plants and the prosecution of 84 defendants in federal court in Fresno.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen A. Escobar is handling the above marijuana prosecutions.

Download Press Release
###
US Department of Justice - Drug Enforcement Administration

Drug Enforcement Administration

Bob P. Beris, Special Agent in Charge - San Francisco
@DEASanFrancisco
  • Facebook
  • X
  • Email
  • Who We Are
    • About
    • Domestic Divisions
    • Foreign Offices
    • Contact Us
    • DEA Museum
  • What We Do
    • Forensic Sciences
    • Law Enforcement
    • Drug Prevention
    • Diversion Control Division
    • News
  • Careers
    • Special Agent
    • Diversion Investigator
    • Forensic Sciences
    • Intelligence Research Specialist
    • How to Apply
  • Resources
    • Drug Information
    • Employee Assistance Program
    • FOIA
    • Publications
    • Media Galleries
    • VWAP
  • Doing Business
    with the DEA
    • Overview
    • Current Vendors
    • Prospective Vendors
    • Security Clauses
    • Security Forms
    • Small Business Program
    • Vendor Engagement Request
  • Policies
    • Accessibility & Policy
    • Legal Policies & Disclaimers
    • No FEAR Act
    • Privacy Policy
    • U.S. Department of Justice EEO Policy
    • USA.gov
    • Whistleblower Protection
    • Your Rights as a Federal Employee

United States Drug Enforcement Administration

DEA.gov is an official site of the U.S. Department of Justice
Facebook X LinkedIn Instagram

DEA Contact Center

(202) 307-1000 info@dea.gov
Contact the Webmaster

United States Drug Enforcement Administration

Back
  • Who We Are
  • What We Do
  • Careers
  • Resources
Back
  • About
  • Mission
  • History
  • Divisions
  • DEA Museum
  • Wall of Honor
  • Contact Us
Back
  • Domestic Divisions
  • Foreign Divisions
  • Operational Divisions
Back
  • Submit a Tip
  • Extortion Scam
  • Public Affairs
  • Social Media Directory
Back
  • Forensic Sciences
  • Law Enforcement
  • Education and Prevention
  • Drug Information
  • News
  • Campaigns
Back
  • GUARDS
  • Forensic Sciences Policy
  • Forensic Science Organizations
  • Forensic Science Contact
Back
  • DEA Office of Training
  • El Paso Intelligence Center (EPIC)
  • Intelligence
  • Operations
Back
  • Office of Training Programs
Back
  • Administrative Law Judges
  • DEA Asset Forfeiture
  • Domestic Cannabis Suppression / Eradication Program
  • HIDTA
  • OCDETF
Back
  • Family Summit
  • Red Ribbon
  • Kiki and the History of Red Ribbon Week
  • Red Ribbon Toolkit - Resources For Your Community
  • DEA’s Family Summit
  • Operation Engage
  • Community Outreach
  • Just Think Twice
  • Campus Drug Prevention
  • Get Smart About Drugs
  • Operation Prevention
Back
  • Drug Policy
  • Drug Scheduling
  • The Controlled Substances Act
Back
  • Alerts
  • Press Releases
  • Most Wanted Fugitives
  • Stories
  • Events
  • Speeches
  • Testimony
Back
  • All Fugitives
Back
  • One Pill Can Kill
  • DEA National Prescription Drug Take Back Day
Back
  • Senior Citizens
  • Partner Toolbox
  • Social Media Campaign
Back
  • Special Agent
  • Diversion Investigator
  • Intelligence Research Specialist
  • Forensic Sciences Careers
  • Professional & Administrative Careers
  • Student & Entry Level Careers
  • Employment Eligibility
  • How to Apply
Back
  • Special Agent FAQs
Back
  • Diversion Investigator Job Announcement
Back
  • Intelligence Research Specialist Job Announcements
  • Intelligence Research Specialists FAQs
  • Schedule A Hiring Authority: Intelligence Research Specialist
Back
  • How To Claim Veterans' Preference
  • Priority Consideration
  • Benefits
  • Veterans and People With Disabilities
  • Operation Warfighter
Back
  • Illegal Online Pharmacies
  • OD Justice
  • Fentanyl Supply Chain
  • Pill Press Resources
  • Recovery Resources
  • Together for Families
  • Data and Statistics
  • FOIA
  • Publications
  • Media Galleries
  • Victim Witness Assistance Program
Back
  • Domestic Arrests
  • Staffing and Budget
Back
  • About FOIA
  • Contact DEA FOIA
  • Make a Request
  • What Happens After Making a Request
  • Requester Categories
  • Fees Charged
  • Fee Waiver
  • FOIA FAQ
  • FOIA Logs and Reports
  • FOIA Library
  • Additional FOIA Links
  • FOIA Exemptions
  • What Are Exclusions?
  • Privacy Act
  • Privacy Act Exemptions
  • Privacy Impact Assessment and Management Information Systems
Back
  • Victim Witness Assistance Program Resources
  • Human Trafficking Prevention
  • Submit A Tip +
  • Get Updates
  • Scam Alert
    • English
    • Español