People v. Carrasco CA2/8

FACTS

In 2009, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) began to investigate David Gonzalez Sanchez, whom they believed to be in the upper-echelons of a drug trafficking organization. The DEA obtained warrants to intercept and monitor 20 different telephone lines, including telephone numbers associated with Sanchez. Approximately 2,000 telephone calls were monitored. Of particular importance to this matter are 12 intercepted telephone calls, mainly between an unidentified man, UM127,1 and Sanchez. Because the participants spoke Spanish and often used code to disguise the true topic of the calls, the DEA agent in charge of the investigation testified to the contents of the telephone calls and translated transcripts of the calls were provided to the jury at trial. The DEA agent explained that UM127 operated a drug trafficking cell in Sacramento, California while Sanchez operated out of Los Angeles. Both men were from Michoacan, Mexico, a hub for the La Familia drug cartel. From November 16 to November 18, 2010, the DEA intercepted a series of calls between UM127 and Sanchez to set up a transfer of narcotics. On November 16, 2010, UM127 alerted Sanchez that they would be going down to Los…