Agents with the Davis Metro Narcotics Strike Force and the FBI seized more than 3,600 grams of methamphetamine from a West Valley City residence on July 29, leading to a federal grand jury indictment on drug trafficking charges.

Cristian Cardenas Aguilar, 19, faces two federal counts: possession of cocaine with intent to distribute and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Utah, as reported by ABC4.

The investigation began July 20 when Strike Force agents and the FBI conducted a controlled purchase of narcotics from Aguilar. After the buy, Aguilar allegedly left the narcotics in a vehicle and was observed entering a residence. The evidence was transported to the Davis County Crime Lab, where it tested positive for cocaine weighing 121.1 grams.

Nine days later, agents executed search warrants on Aguilar's vehicle and his residence in West Valley City. They seized 3,623 grams of field-tested-positive methamphetamine. That's roughly eight pounds.

The quantity is more than seven times the 500-gram threshold that triggers a mandatory minimum 10-year federal prison sentence under federal law. The FBI's direct involvement and the scale of the seizure drove the case to federal court, where mandatory minimums cannot be reduced regardless of a defendant's personal circumstances, unlike state charges where judges retain sentencing discretion.

The Strike Force's role

The Davis Metro Narcotics Strike Force is a multi-agency unit housed under the Davis County Sheriff's Office that investigates the manufacture, importation and distribution of controlled substances. An Executive Board that includes the Davis County Sheriff, police chiefs from across the county and a representative of the Davis County Attorney's Office governs the unit, according to the Davis County Sheriff's Office.

Bountiful, Farmington and Woods Cross police departments are all listed alongside the Strike Force in the county's official law enforcement directory. The unit collaborates with local, state and federal agencies on narcotics cases, and the Davis County Crime Lab, which processed the cocaine evidence in this case, works closely with the State Crime Lab on analysis.

Aguilar's initial appearance on the indictment is scheduled for Monday, Aug. 17, in federal court in Salt Lake City. Residents with narcotics tips can contact the Davis Metro Narcotics Strike Force at (801) 336-3555.