TUCSON, Ariz. – In a disturbing example of the ongoing fentanyl crisis, Carlos Obed Moreno, a 32-year-old Mexican national, was sentenced to 40 months in prison for attempting to smuggle fentanyl into the United States.
According to court records, Moreno presented himself for entry into the United States from Mexico at the De Concini Port of Entry in Nogales, Arizona on January 6, 2022. A Customs and Border Protection Officer noticed a knife in Moreno’s waistband and conducted a pat-down for officer safety.
During the pat-down, the officer noticed packages stuffed in Moreno’s boots. Further inspection of the boots revealed the packages contained approximately 628.1 grams of blue fentanyl pills.
Moreno, who had previously pleaded guilty to Importation of Fentanyl into the United States, was sentenced by United States District Judge Raner C. Collins on September 27, 2022.
Homeland Security Investigations, Nogales, conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stefani Hepford, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
The sentencing is a significant blow to the fentanyl trafficking trade, which has ravaged communities across the United States. The fentanyl seizures have reached alarming levels, with thousands of pounds of the deadly substance being intercepted at the border each year.
Moreno’s case highlights the brazen nature of fentanyl traffickers, who often use reckless and violent tactics to smuggle their deadly cargo into the country.
As the fentanyl crisis continues to grip the nation, law enforcement agencies and federal prosecutors must remain vigilant and take aggressive action against those who seek to exploit the vulnerable and profit from the suffering of others.
Related Federal Cases
- Francisco Nicolas Orozco-Montijo, Fentanyl Importation, Arizona 2024 · Washington
- Juan Carlos Hernandez, Possession of a Firearm During Fentanyl Traf… · Washington
- Arizona Man Sentenced to 10.5 Years for Fentanyl Trafficking · Idaho
- Francisco Nicolas Orozco-Montijo, Fentanyl Import, Arizona 2024 · Colorado
- Angel Valencia-Avendano, Fentanyl Trafficking, Arizona 2023 · Arizona
Key Facts
- State: Arizona
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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