Idaho Falls Drug Kingpin Sentenced to Over 20 Years

POCATELLO – The grimy streets of Idaho Falls were hit hard by the sentencing of two individuals caught in a methamphetamine and fentanyl trafficking operation. Ernestine Delafuente, the ruthless kingpin, and Simon Martinez, her right-hand man, each face over 20 years behind bars after U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced their federal prison sentences today.

Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill handed down a 309-month sentence to Delafuente and 264 months for Martinez. The duo had been operating in Idaho Falls, Pocatello, and the surrounding areas since January 2020, according to court records and evidence presented at their sentencing.

Delafuente was identified as the source of supply and leader of the drug trafficking organization. She sourced hundreds of pounds of methamphetamine from a California supplier. Martinez was found to be operating under Delafuente’s command within the organization. In December 2020, law enforcement executed a search warrant at a storage unit in Idaho Falls, uncovering more than 56 pounds of meth and approximately 12,000 fentanyl pills.

U.S. Attorney Hurwit commended the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Idaho State Police, Idaho Falls Police Department, and other local agencies for their relentless pursuit of justice in this case. This prosecution is part of a larger Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation that aims to dismantle high-level drug trafficking networks.

The OCDETF utilizes a multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement against criminal networks. Delafuente’s sentence sends a stark reminder that the justice system is relentless in its pursuit of those who traffic deadly substances on American streets.