Evaristo Marin-Dominguez, Methamphetamine Trafficking, Florida 2022

Tampa, FL – A Mexican national has been sentenced to nearly 20 years in federal prison for trafficking dozens of kilograms of methamphetamine and possessing multiple firearms in Tampa, Florida.

Evaristo Marin-Dominguez, 34, of Michoacan, Mexico, was sentenced to 19 years and 7 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.

Marin-Dominguez had pleaded guilty on April 26, 2022, to the charges brought against him. The investigation into his activities revealed that he had sold a kilogram of methamphetamine to a law enforcement source in November 2020. During a later meeting to pick up money from the source, Marin-Dominguez admitted to having just delivered 8 kilograms of methamphetamine and having another 16 kilograms available for sale.

Marin-Dominguez was arrested in Highlands County, in the Southern District of Florida, the following year. During an execution of a search warrant at Marin-Dominguez’s residence, authorities seized almost four kilograms of methamphetamine, almost a quarter kilogram of heroin, a shotgun, a rifle, three pistols, and various drug paraphernalia.

The operation was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Highlands County Sheriff’s Office, the Hardee County Sheriff’s Office, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, the Largo Police Department, the Plant City Police Department, the Winter Haven Police Department, and the University of South Florida Police Department.

Assistant United States Attorney Dan Baeza prosecuted the case, which was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. The OCDETF program identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.

Marin-Dominguez’s sentence serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of engaging in organized crime and the importance of law enforcement’s efforts to disrupt and dismantle these networks. As the nation continues to grapple with the scourge of methamphetamine trafficking, cases like this one demonstrate the commitment of law enforcement to holding those responsible accountable for their actions.

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