Jesus Candido Higuera-Parra, Fentanyl Trafficking, New Jersey 2021

Newark, NJ – A California man has admitted to possessing with intent to distribute approximately one kilogram of fentanyl, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.

Jesus Candido Higuera-Parra, 26, of Ontario, California, pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Kevin McNulty to an information charging him with possession with intent to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

On March 24, 2021, Higuera-Parra agreed with others to transport approximately one kilogram of fentanyl to a location in Union County, New Jersey. When Higuera-Parra arrived to meet the purchaser, he was arrested, and the fentanyl was recovered from the vehicle that he occupied.

The offense to which Higuera-Parra pleaded guilty carries a mandatory minimum term of 10 years in prison, a maximum penalty of life in prison, and a fine of $10 million. Sentencing is scheduled for March 23, 2022.

Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Susan A. Gibson in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ray A. Mateo of the Opioid Abuse Prevention and Enforcement Unit in Newark. Defense counsel: Jason F. Orlando Esq., Jersey City, New Jersey.

The defendant, Jesus Candido Higuera-Parra, is a 26-year-old man from Ontario, California. He pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl. He agreed to transport approximately one kilogram of fentanyl to a location in Union County, New Jersey, on March 24, 2021. Higuera-Parra was arrested and the fentanyl was recovered from the vehicle he occupied. He faces a mandatory minimum term of 10 years in prison, a maximum penalty of life in prison, and a fine of $10 million.

Sentencing for Higuera-Parra is scheduled for March 23, 2022. The case was investigated by special agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Susan A. Gibson in Newark. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ray A. Mateo of the Opioid Abuse Prevention and Enforcement Unit in Newark.

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