Suspected fentanyl dealer faces 3 murder counts after Los Banos deaths

MERCED COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- The Merced County District Attorney's Office has filed three counts of murder against an alleged fentanyl dealer after three people died in March 2026 from overdoses in Los Banos.

According to the Merced County DA's Office, the Los Banos Police Department partnered with the Merced Area Gang and Narcotics Enforcement Team to investigate the deaths and identify the source of the lethal drug.

Authorities later identified that the drugs came from Raymond Jose Caudillo from San Jose, Calif.

Caudillo is scheduled to be arraigned on Thursday at the Merced County Superior Court.

The Merced DA's Office says that together with law enforcement partners, it is prioritizing efforts to identify, investigate and prosecute those who traffic fentanyl.

They remind the public to remain vigilant and to understand the serious risks associated with illicit fentanyl.