Miami Standard (Los Angeles, CA) – A father and son are in legal trouble, facing charges related to suspected fentanyl trafficking and unlawful firearm sales in Los Angeles.

The Department of Justice reports that federal criminal complaints claim the pair sold at least 4.4 lbs of fentanyl pills along with several firearms and ammunition.

Authorities have confirmed the identities of the father and son involved in the incident, naming the father as Antonio Espinoza Zarate, 55, from the Mar Vista area of Los Angeles, and his son as Francisco Javier Espinoza Galindo, 31, from Santa Monica.

On March 26, law enforcement took Antonio and Francisco into custody in Los Angeles County.

Legal filings indicate that Antonio engaged in the sale of a pistol, a rifle, 131 rounds of ammunition, and over 1.1 pounds of fentanyl pills to a purchaser in July 2023. The DOJ stated that Antonio, referred to as “El Gato,” lacks a license to engage in firearm transactions.

In August 2023, Antonio allegedly engaged in the sale of an AR-style rifle along with approximately 2.2 pounds of fentanyl pills to a purchaser. This time, it was observed that the supply of narcotics and firearms came from Francisco.

In January 2025, another occurrence was noted, involving Antonio who reportedly sold a rifle, a pistol, a revolver, and ammunition to a purchaser.

The following month, Antonio completed a transaction with a confidential informant. In this incident, Antonio was involved in the sale of over 1.1 pounds of fentanyl pills while his son was nearby, which resulted in their arrest in March.

Alongside the narcotics and firearms charges, the DOJ announced that Antonio has also been charged with reentering the U.S. following at least four deportations.

The father has a prior criminal record, which includes felony convictions from 2008 for the sale of narcotics.

The Department of Justice indicated that if found guilty on all counts, Antonio and Francisco could be sentenced to a maximum of life in federal prison, with a mandatory minimum of 10 years.

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