Two Honduran nationals were sentenced Friday to federal prison for their roles in a major drug trafficking operation in the San Francisco Bay Area. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California announced that Jorge Viera-Chirinos, 35, was sentenced to more than three years in prison, while Elmer Matute, 32, received a three-year sentence for their involvement in distributing heroin, crystal meth, crack cocaine, and cocaine.
Viera-Chirinos was initially charged with drug trafficking in July 2019 and later indicted with 13 other co-defendants. While out on bond, he fled to Honduras in September 2020. However, in February 2024, he was extradited back to the U.S. to face charges. On October 16, 2024, Viera-Chirinos pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. Court records indicate that he played a role in coordinating housing for street-level drug dealers who bought drugs from him and his co-conspirators. These drugs were then sold in San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood.
Matute, arrested in Honduras and extradited to the U.S. in February 2024, was indicted in December 2019. On November 26, 2024, he pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine base, and cocaine. A 2018 search of his residence led to the seizure of significant quantities of drugs, including approximately 663 grams of heroin, 168 grams of methamphetamine, 386 grams of cocaine base, and 175 grams of cocaine.
Both Viera-Chirinos and Matute’s sentences mark a significant step in the ongoing efforts to disrupt drug trafficking operations in the Bay Area, a region that has long struggled with high levels of drug-related violence and addiction. These convictions also serve as a reminder of the U.S. government’s commitment to prosecuting international drug traffickers and dismantling networks that harm communities across the country.
