Carlos Guatimea Augirre, Meth and Fentanyl Trafficking, Montana 2022

Missoula pair sentenced to prison terms after law enforcement seized over seven pounds of meth, fentanyl

Missoula, MT – Carlos Guatimea Augirre, 36, was sentenced to 15 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. Aguirre pleaded guilty in May 2022 to possession with intent to distribute meth and fentanyl and to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana.

Co-defendant Savannah Shoshana Smith, 38, was sentenced to five years and six months in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release. Smith pleaded guilty in May 2022 to possession with intent to distribute meth and fentanyl and to addict in possession of firearms and ammunition.

The investigation showed that law enforcement served a search warrant on the residence of Smith and Aguirre on October 6, 2021. Officers also conducted a traffic stop of Aguirre to execute a search warrant on the car and found a quarter pound of meth packaged for sale and a 9mm handgun that Aguirre had removed from his body when he was stopped.

Inside the residence, officers found approximately 6.9 pounds of meth and fentanyl pills. Seven pounds of meth is the equivalent of about 25,368 doses. Law enforcement also found 21 firearms throughout the residence. Records showed that Smith purchased 22 firearms between February 2020 and August 2021. Smith told officers that Aguirre would give her meth and she would trade the meth for opiate pills.

The investigation further showed that Aguirre made numerous wire transfers totaling about $22,000 from August 2019 to September 2021 to addresses in Billings; Fresno, California; Las Vegas, Nevada; and Albuquerque, New Mexico. In addition, Aguirre traveled multiple times to Fresno, where he also maintained a residence and had active links to gangs, and Sacramento, California, and to Spokane, Washington. Three of the firearms, all 9mm pistols, that Smith purchased in Montana were recovered in Fresno in three separate criminal investigations that had gang associations.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.

Mandatory Facts:

1. Defendant: Carlos Guatimea Augirre

2. Exact Criminal Charges: Possession with intent to distribute meth and fentanyl, Possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime

3. City and State: Missoula, Montana

4. Exact Date: May 2022 (sentencing)

5. Sentence or Outcome: 15 years in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release

6. Dollar Amounts: $22,000 (wire transfers)

MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS

Drug Trafficking|Violent Crime

Daniel Kelly, Drug Trafficking, Louisiana 2024

Aug 30, 2024

Drug Trafficking|Violent Crime

Raven Marlyne Hudson, Gun and Drug Distribution, Washington 2022

Oct 3, 2022

Drug Trafficking|Violent Crime

Alejandro Alvarez, Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, California 2020

Apr 21, 2022

Drug Trafficking|Violent Crime

Andre Adams, Jr., Drug Trafficking, Florida 2024

Jul 22, 2024