A drug dealer who made deliveries of a drug laced with fentanyl to a Downtown man who later died from an overdose has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison.
Saul Caro, 33, pleaded guilty to distribution of fentanyl when he sold counterfeit oxycodone pills that were laced with fentanyl that he delivered to a 35-year-old man identified only as M.S. in court records on April 11, 2021.
Caro visited M.S.’ apartment at 3:49 a.m., according to federal records, and the man is estimated to have died at approximately 9:30 p.m. Police found a needle sticking out of M.S.’s left big toe on April 15 and he was slumped over his coffee table with drug paraphernalia scattered around.
U.S. District Court Judge Gonzalo Curiel ordered Caro to pay $13,180.34 to the victim’s family for funeral and burial expenses.
“Dealers beware…If you provide the fatal pill or powder, you will be held responsible for the victim’s death,” said U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman in a statement.
The proof of the drug contact between Caro and M.S. came from text messages between both men on their phones. The U.S. Attorney’s office released some of the text messages in court records.
M.S. complained to Caro that he should warn people about the potency of some drugs he had received in the past. Caro replied he had warned people.
M.S. then texted: “Yeah thanks otherwise would have been bad news for me lol”
After his death, police officers impersonated M.S. in text messages to Caro on July 22, 2021 and negotiated a sale for more drugs. “Dude, where have u been” asked Caro to the impersonator of M.S., but the undercover officer did not elaborate.
Caro, who also lived Downtown, agreed to make a sale and was seen leaving his apartment on a bicycle. He rode to a restaurant in the 900 block of E Street and texted the officer he was there at 9:14 p.m. Caro was then arrested.
Court records say he was found with heroin and cocaine laced with fenantyl. Police obtained a search warrant to seize items in Caro’s studio apartment.
Officers found a ghost gun with no serial numbers, 40 rounds of ammunition that included bullets for other guns, digital scales, packaging materials, and drug paraphernalia, according to records.
“The defendant chose to disregard the significant risk associated with selling fentanyl and other drugs,” said Grossman.
“His choices had severe consequences for a family that lost a beloved son and brother,” said Grossman. “The driving factor for all of us in law enforcement is the human toll that fentanyl is taking.”
“We see the grief and destruction in person every day. We will continue to seek justice for every victim,” concluded Grossman.
“There is no place to hide,” said Drug Enforcement Administration special agent in charge Shelly Howe. “The DEA and its partners will continue to track down, arrest, and prosecute those who are driving addiction.”
“Abusing drugs these days will likely kill you,” said Chad Plantz, special agent in charge for Homeland Security investigations San Diego.
Caro will receive credit for one-and-a-half years he spent incarcerated awaiting sentencing.
