Author: Kevin Thompson

SALT LAKE CITY, UT — Two Honduran nationals were arrested and charged in connection with a drug trafficking operation, authorities reported Monday. Jorge Luis Hernandez-Valle, 36, and Luis Alfredo Hernandez, 35, both of Honduras, were residing in Salt Lake County when they were implicated in the alleged drug operation, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah. The charges stem from an investigation launched by the Utah County Major Crimes Task Force earlier this year. Detectives with the task force began their investigation in March 2025, focusing on a suspected drug trafficking organization operating within the region.…

SALT LAKE CITY, UT — Nearly two decades after a brutal assault, justice was finally served to a survivor whose life was permanently altered by the actions of two men. Frank Benavidez and Jose Pina-Cruz were each sentenced to two consecutive 15-year terms for the kidnapping and sexual assault of a 16-year-old girl in 2006. The sentencing, handed down on April 1st, provided long-awaited closure for the victim, who had waited for years for the justice she deserved. Judge Elizabeth Hruby-Mills, who presided over the case, described the crime as “heinous,” adding that it was “really what nightmares are made…