TUCSON, Ariz. – In a devastating blow to the opioid epidemic, Pilar Angel Leon-Beltran, 44, of Sinaloa, Mexico, was sentenced to 144 months in prison by United States District Judge Jennifer G. Zipps. This marks a significant victory in the fight against fentanyl trafficking in Arizona.
Leon-Beltran pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime on March 22, 2023. The guilty plea came after an undercover operation in Scottsdale in April 2022, where federal agents and Arizona DPS Troopers discovered approximately 90,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl in the possession of Leon-Beltran and three co-conspirators.
The investigation, which was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Operation, revealed that Leon-Beltran had a loaded firearm in his possession while transporting the fentanyl-laced pills. Co-conspirators Enrique Flores-Diaz and Denisse Calderon-Razura have already been sentenced to 78 months and 15 months in prison, respectively, for their roles in the conspiracy.
Laura Elena Hambrick, another co-conspirator, has pleaded guilty to Accessory After the Fact and is scheduled to be sentenced on January 18, 2024. The investigation into the conspiracy was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Arizona Department of Public Safety.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David Petermann handled the prosecution, bringing Leon-Beltran to justice for his role in the devastating crime. The OCDETF Strike Force Initiative, which provided the framework for the investigation, aims to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations.
Pilar Angel Leon-Beltran’s sentence serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of fentanyl trafficking in Arizona. The opioid epidemic continues to ravage communities across the state, and cases like Leon-Beltran’s demonstrate the importance of collaborative efforts between law enforcement agencies to combat this crisis.
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Case Number: CR-22-1094-JGZ-JR. Release Number: 2023-197_Leon-Beltran.
Related Federal Cases
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- Leon Henderson, Fentanyl Distribution, South Carolina 2023 · Arkansas
- Glen Adam Romero, Jr., Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl, Arizona 2023 · Washington
- John McKernan, Fentanyl Pill Trafficking, Virginia 2023 · Washington
- Sarah Caitlin Burnette, Fentanyl Poisoning, Arizona 2021 · Alaska
Key Facts
- State: Arizona
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Organized Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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