VISALIA, CA — A Tulare County jury found a 28-year-old man guilty on Jan. 7, 2026, of several drug and weapon crimes, including an attempt to ship thousands of fake fentanyl pills across the country. Angel Ramiro Pando was convicted in Tulare County Superior Court following a trial that detailed a large-scale narcotics and illegal growing operation.
According to the Tulare County District Attorney’s Office, the case began on March 19, 2024, when Pando tried to ship about 6,000 fake fentanyl pills from a Visalia UPS store to an address in Georgia. The pills were designed to look like prescription medication. The Visalia Police Department Narcotics Unit intercepted the package, and investigators used a fingerprint found on the packaging to identify Pando.
That discovery led to a four-month investigation ending in July 2024. Officers searched a mobile home and a vehicle just outside Tulare. Inside the home, they found 350 marijuana plants. They also found a loaded, unregistered handgun hidden near the vehicle's steering column.
The jury convicted Pando of two separate firearm offenses: carrying a loaded handgun and having a concealed, unregistered firearm in his vehicle. According to the District Attorney's office, Pando was already on probation for a previous DUI at the time of these offenses.
In addition to the weapons charges, Pando was found guilty of transporting fentanyl for sale, operating a drug house, possession of marijuana for sale, and growing more than six marijuana plants.
Prosecutors said the large amount of drugs made the crimes more serious. Law enforcement officials added that stopping the initial shipment kept a dangerous supply of the drug off the streets.
Pando is scheduled to return to court for a sentencing hearing on Jan. 29, 2026. He faces up to seven years in prison for the crimes.
