P. v. Vargas-Alvarez CA6
In 2006, the federal Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) began investigating a drug trafficking operation (DTO) headed by defendant Jose Vargas Alvarez. Codefendants Emanuel Vargas Alvarez and Guillermo Velasquez were part of the DTO, which transported and sold large quantities of cocaine and methamphetamine throughout the San Francisco Bay Area as well as Southern California.
Following a joint trial, a jury convicted the defendants of multiple drug related offenses, as well as offenses related to the kidnapping of an individual Jose suspected of being involved in the theft of $2 million from one of the DTO’s “stash” houses. The trial court sentenced Jose to a total prison term of 47 years eight months. Emanuel and Guillermo were sentenced to prison terms totaling 30 years eight months.
On appeal, the defendants raise the following arguments: (1) the trial court erred in the procedure by which it evaluated their motion to compel discovery relating to the wiretap authorizations;
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