Jose Miguel Perez, 42, from Corona, California, pleaded guilty on Monday to trafficking significant amounts of cocaine, heroin, and ketamine, following a large-scale drug seizure on Interstate 5 in Fresno County. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California confirmed Perez’s plea in federal court.
Perez was apprehended by law enforcement officers after they discovered 56 kilograms of narcotics hidden in his vehicle during a traffic stop. According to court records, deputies found seven kilograms of cocaine concealed in the vehicle’s ceiling. Additionally, they uncovered 37 kilograms of cocaine, 10 kilograms of heroin, and two kilograms of ketamine in separate hidden compartments within the vehicle’s roof.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) explains that ketamine, a dissociative anesthetic, is often abused for its hallucinogenic properties. While it is legally used for medical purposes, including as a short-acting anesthetic and treatment for depression, it is commonly abused under street names like Special K, Super K, Cat Valium, and Vitamin K.
Perez is set to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kirk E. Sherriff on June 23. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison, with the possibility of a maximum life sentence depending on the court’s ruling.
