LAX service worker and Lennox man charged after fentanyl found in airport bathroom

-

By The Southbound 105



LOS ANGELES — An employee of a service provider at Los Angeles International Airport and another Lennox resident have been charged in a federal criminal complaint with possessing about 11 kilograms (24.3 pounds) of fentanyl found in an airport bathroom and intended for transport on a Minnesota-bound flight, Argonaut News reported, citing a Justice Department announcement.

Miguel Angel Tuz-Noh, 24, of Lennox, who works at LAX, and Anthony Olvera, 23, also of Lennox, are charged with possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, according to Argonaut News.

Both defendants were arrested Aug. 19 and made their initial appearances Aug. 21 in U.S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles, the newspaper reported. A federal magistrate judge ordered each released on $10,000 bond. Their arraignments are scheduled for Sept. 17, according to Argonaut News.

An affidavit filed with the complaint states that Tuz-Noh is an LAX employee whom law enforcement believes has ties to a drug trafficking organization, Argonaut News reported. On Aug. 19, law enforcement observed Tuz-Noh and Olvera attempt to exchange narcotics in a mens bathroom at one of the airport’s terminals, according to the affidavit as summarized by the newspaper.

Soon afterward, officers detained both defendants and opened a duffle bag Olvera had carried, finding 10 brick-type packages containing a total of approximately 11 kilograms of fentanyl, Argonaut News reported. Law enforcement believes Olvera had agreed to fly with the fentanyl to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, according to the report.

A criminal complaint contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, Argonaut News noted. If convicted, each defendant would face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a statutory maximum of life imprisonment, the newspaper reported, citing the case summary.

The Drug Enforcement Administration and Los Angeles Airport Police are investigating, according to Argonaut News. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kent M. Walters of the General Crimes Section is prosecuting the case, the newspaper said.

Sources:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Flea-borne typhus outbreak confirmed in Wilshire Center as LA County cases keep climbing

-
Image
Seven people sickened and six hospitalized in the county's second neighborhood typhus cluster of 2026. Health officials say the risk reaches well beyond Koreatown. LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles County health officials are investigating an outbreak of flea-borne typhus in Wilshire Center, the dense Mid-Wilshire neighborhood that overlaps Koreatown, after seven people with symptoms were linked to the cluster. Six of the seven were hospitalized. All have recovered, the Department of Public Health said when it announced the outbreak on Tuesday, Sept. 22. It is the second flea-borne typhus outbreak the department has reported this year. The first, announced July 29, involved five people in nearby Pico-Union; all five were hospitalized and later recovered. Countywide, Public Health has counted 109 typhus cases so far in 2026. As of Friday, Sept. 25, the department had not announced any additional cases tied to the Wilshire Center cluster. As flea-borne typhus cases continue to inc...
Read more

Tropical Storm Rachel surf forces evacuations on Long Beach Peninsula; 8 buildings red-tagged

-
Image
Cover photo: File photo (Alamitos Bay and the Peninsula, 2015; not storm damage) by Don Ramey Logan , CC BY 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons; cropped, darkened and text added by The Southbound 105. By The Southbound 105 | Oct. 10, 2026 LONG BEACH — Long Beach ordered oceanfront residents on the Peninsula to leave their homes Friday night after surf from Tropical Storm Rachel broke through the bulkhead that protects Seaside Walk, sending seawater into homes and side streets. The mandatory evacuation order covers homes on Seaside Walk between 64th and 66th places, the 6400 and 6500 blocks. It took effect at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9, and runs through noon Tuesday, Oct. 13, city officials said, adding that the return date could change as conditions evolve. Residents of nine properties were told to go. Eight buildings too dangerous to enter City inspectors red-tagged eight buildings, covering 13 addresses, in the 6400 and 6500 blocks of Seaside Walk, meaning they are considered too dangero...
Read more

Vincent Thomas Bridge closes Nov. 7 for 16 months: the detours, the $750 million plan and what the ports say

-
Image
Traffic officers will be posted at 18 intersections, and only about 8% of port truck traffic uses the bridge, according to the port. By Alberto Zamudio | The Southbound 105 | Oct. 15, 2026 In three weeks, one of the Los Angeles harbor region's key links goes dark. Caltrans will close the Vincent Thomas Bridge, which carries State Route 47 between San Pedro and Terminal Island, to all traffic on Nov. 7 for 16 months. The agency says the 60-plus-year-old bridge's concrete deck is "severely deteriorated." Crews will replace the deck, center median, railing, fencing and signage, and modernize other components, according to the Caltrans fact sheet for fall and winter 2026-27. The basics Closure: begins Nov. 7, 2026, and lasts 16 months. Reopening: early 2028, per Caltrans. The Port of Los Angeles describes the closure as November 2026 through March 2028. Caltrans' FAQ says the bridge is expected to reopen before the 2028 Olympic Games. Cost: Caltrans lists ...
Read more