CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Federal authorities have another major drug supplier behind bars as part of an extensive, long-running operation.
Alejandro Gallegos, also known as “Alex,” “Rooster,” “G” and “Primo,” 41, of Hacienda Heights, California, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine. Gallegos admitted to a major supplier role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that operated in the Charleston area.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from in or about February 2021 to in or about March 2023, Gallegos conspired with others to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine within the Southern District of West Virginia.
On March 18, 2023, Gallegos directed co-defendant Ildiberto Gonzalez Jr. to deliver approximately 196 pounds of methamphetamine and four kilograms of cocaine from California to Bluefield, West Virginia, in his 2009 Freightliner semi-truck with attached trailer. Gallegos arranged the shipment in exchange for approximately $400,000 with another co-conspirator in West Virginia. Gallegos arranged for Gonzalez and the West Virginia co-conspirator to meet in a particular parking lot in Bluefield on March 22, 2023. There, Gonzalez provided the controlled substances to the other individual in exchange for a box that Gonzalez believed contained the cash.
Gallegos is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 10, 2024, and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a $10 million fine.
Gonzalez, 30, of San Bernadino, California, pleaded guilty on Sept. 12, 2023, to conspiracy to distribute a quantity of methamphetamine and awaits sentencing.
Gallegos and Gonzalez are among 32 people indicted as a result of Operation Smoke and Mirrors, a drug trafficking investigation that has yielded the largest methamphetamine seizure in West Virginia history, according to court statements. Law enforcement seized well over 400 pounds of methamphetamine as well as 40 pounds of cocaine, 3 pounds of fentanyl, 19 firearms and $935,000 in cash.
Gallegos and Gonzalez are also among 29 defendants who have pleaded guilty. Indictments against the other defendants are pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Bruce Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has lived in three states including Arkansas, Missouri and Georgia. During his nearly 20-year career, Bruce has served as managing editor and sports editor for numerous publications. He and his wife, Dana, who is also a journalist, are based in Carrollton, Georgia.
