Luis Miguel Teixeira-Spencer, Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl, Washington District of Columbia 2021

WASHINTON D.C. – Three individuals have been arrested for their involvement in a darknet narcotics trafficking operation that distributed pills pressed with fentanyl. Luis Miguel Teixeira-Spencer, 31, and Olatunji Dawodu, 36, were arrested in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, after being indicted on Monday by a federal grand jury in the District of Columbia for illegal sales of opioids on the darknet.

The indictment charges the defendants with Conspiracy to Distribute More than 400 Grams of a Mixture and Substance Containing Fentanyl. Additionally, Alex Ogando, 35, of Providence, Rhode Island, was also arrested on February 23, 2021, and charged by complaint with Conspiracy to Distribute More than 400 Grams of a Mixture and Substance Containing Fentanyl.

All three defendants will have initial appearances before a federal magistrate judge today.

The indictment alleges that, since early 2017, Spencer and Dawodu operated a vendor site that sold pills pressed with fentanyl on numerous darknet markets, including AlphaBay, Dream, Empire, and Wall Street, in exchange for bitcoin. Spencer also used encrypted messaging services to communicate directly with customers and sold pills directly over messaging services.

Ogando was in communication with both Spencer and Dawodu as part of the online drug trafficking conspiracy. On several occasions, the defendants sold fentanyl pills that they shipped via the U.S. Postal Service to buyers in the District of Columbia.

The FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service executed multiple search warrants yesterday in South Florida and Rhode Island. At the Rhode Island location, agents recovered over $350,000 in cash, approximately 2,000 grams of pills containing fentanyl, and packaging materials. At the South Florida locations, agents recovered more than $12,000 in cash, approximately 1,400 grams of pills containing fentanyl, packaging material, and a firearm.

“The use of sophisticated technology and virtual currency may raise unique challenges to investigating these cases, but this investigation demonstrates that law enforcement can nonetheless root out the sale of dangerous opioids on the darknet,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Michael Sherwin.

The defendants will face the consequences of their actions in the District of Columbia court system. Luis Miguel Teixeira-Spencer and Olatunji Dawodu were arrested in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Alex Ogando was arrested on February 23, 2021. The investigation is ongoing, and further charges may be pending.

Related Federal Cases