A 63-month prison sentence was handed down to Francisco Nicolas Orozco-Montijo, 28, a Nogales, Mexico resident, for his role in a massive fentanyl smuggling operation.
Orozco-Montijo, a U.S. citizen, was sentenced on Wednesday by United States District Judge Rosemary Márquez in Tucson, Arizona.
According to court documents, Orozco-Montijo pleaded guilty to Importation of Fentanyl on February 5, 2024. The guilty plea stems from a March 2023 incident at the DeConcini Port of Entry in Nogales, Arizona, where Customs and Border Protection agents discovered over 50 kilograms of fentanyl concealed within the spare tire and rear quarter panels of Orozco-Montijo’s vehicle.
The fentanyl seizure marked a major blow to the illicit fentanyl trade in the region. Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation in this case, with the United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, handling the prosecution.
Orozco-Montijo will also serve 60 months of supervised release following his prison sentence. The case number for this incident is CR-23-00943-TUC-RM, with a release number of 2024-059_Orozco-Montijo.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, is urging the public to remain vigilant in the face of ongoing fentanyl-related threats. For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/.
To stay up-to-date on the latest news from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, follow them on X at @USAO_AZ.
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Key Facts
- State: Arizona
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: Official Source ↗
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