Four South Florida residents have been convicted and sentenced for their roles in a narcotics importation and distribution ring, operating in Miami-Dade and Osceola Counties.
A 26-year-old Miami-Dade County man, Johan Stephen Paniagua, 26, was sentenced for his role in a narcotics importation and distribution ring, involving an analogue of the powerful opioid fentanyl, as well as n-ethylpentalone.
Over the course of a year-long investigation, law enforcement determined that Paniagua ordered multiple kilograms of fentanyl (methoxyacetylfentanyl) and Pentylone (n-ethylpentalone) analogues using the dark web. These substances were shipped to the United States from China.
Paniagua then enlisted the help of two U.S. Postal Service employees, Saul Rivera, 33, of Miami-Dade County, and Jacqueline Santiago, 30, of Miami-Dade County, to divert the parcels from the mail stream and distribute them to Paniagua and other members of the drug trafficking organization, including Ernest Lee Warren, 40, of Osceola County, who served as a drug mule.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office and law enforcement partners remain committed to the prosecution of individuals who illegally import and distribute prescription painkillers, including synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, into local South Florida communities.
The opioid epidemic is a national health emergency that will not be ignored, said U.S. Attorney Ariana Fajardo Orshan.
Ariana Fajardo Orshan, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, praised the hard work of law enforcement agencies involved in the investigation, saying ‘The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners remain committed to the prosecution of individuals who illegally import and distribute prescription painkillers, including synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, into our local South Florida communities.’
Related Federal Cases
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- Alphonso Coleman Jr, Fentanyl Trafficking, Florida 2024 · Alabama
- Maurice Devantay Kimbrough, Fentanyl and Meth Trafficking, Florida … · Florida
- Scott Oranje Faces Fentanyl Trafficking, Mary Esther FL, 2024 · Utah
Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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