Ricardo Verduzco Bernal, former director of the Guasave Municipal Sports Institute (IMUDEG), was arrested on August 12 in a hotel room in Salt Lake County, Utah, with more than 11 kilograms of fentanyl. The U.S. Department of Justice announced federal charges for possession with intent to distribute the narcotic. His appearance before a federal judge is scheduled for Wednesday, August 26, 2026.
Ricardo Verduzco Bernal, 54, a resident of West Valley City, Utah, had entered the United States on a visitor visa. Agents from the FBI’s Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force (WMDTF) identified him as part of a network allegedly distributing fentanyl and other narcotics in the District of Utah, according to court documents.
The investigation included a controlled purchase of fentanyl: a source bought the drug directly from Verduzco Bernal, allowing agents to locate the hotel from which the alleged distributor was operating.
