DENVER, CO – A Denver-area drug and gun trafficker is headed to federal prison after a multi-agency investigation exposed a sprawling criminal network funneling deadly fentanyl and methamphetamine into Colorado. Xavier Drew, 29, of Englewood, was sentenced on March 6 to 162 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. The sentence also includes restitution of $14,862 for a fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan obtained during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Drew wasn’t operating alone. Esvin Ivan Calles-Corrales, 28, of Phoenix, Arizona, received a 60-month sentence on March 7, with an additional three years of supervised release. Both men pleaded guilty to federal charges stemming from the investigation, which began in 2022 and involved the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Additional members of the “GUWOP gang”, as investigators dubbed the group, are awaiting sentencing.
Court documents reveal Drew was dealing in a dangerous cocktail of illicit goods. He trafficked firearms, including semi-automatic weapons, untraceable “ghost guns” lacking serial numbers, guns with obliterated serial numbers, a silencer, and Glock “switches” – 3-D printed devices that convert handguns into fully automatic weapons. Alongside the firearms, Drew and his associates were pushing fentanyl and methamphetamine throughout the region. The scale of the operation was significant, with Drew conspiring to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
The break in the case came via the postal service. USPIS inspectors intercepted a package addressed to Drew containing a children’s music box rigged to conceal a vacuum-sealed bag of methamphetamine and a latex glove packed with fentanyl pills. Investigators traced the package back to Calles-Corrales, who was shipping narcotics from Arizona to Colorado and allegedly funneling the profits back to Mexico. The investigation subsequently yielded large seizures of both methamphetamine and thousands of fentanyl pills.
Federal agents didn’t stop at drugs. The investigation led to the seizure and forfeiture of numerous firearms, including the dangerous Glock “switches,” and over $19,000 in U.S. currency. “Xavier Drew was a key figure in a vast criminal network which engaged in firearms and narcotics trafficking, extending far beyond our Colorado communities,” stated ATF Special Agent in Charge Brent Beavers. “Thanks to the hard work of our ATF special agents and our partners at the USPIS and DEA, their criminal enterprise has been dismantled as they now face justice within the confines of federal prison.”
U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan emphasized the office’s commitment to public safety. “The primary goal of the Office of the United States Attorney of Colorado is to keep our communities safe,” Finegan said. “When armed drug dealers are taken off the streets, we move one step closer to a safer Colorado.” The DEA echoed the sentiment, highlighting the clear link between drug trafficking and firearms violence, and promising continued pursuit of similar networks.
Related Federal Cases
- Don Chequetas, Fentanyl Trafficking, Colorado 2024 · Utah
- Mark Adams Prieto, Firearms Trafficking, Arizona 2024 · Colorado
- Carlos Sanford-Valdez, Fentanyl and Cocaine Trafficking, Colorado 2024 · Colorado
- Desmond Trevain Manago, Sex Trafficking, Seattle WA, 2023 · Idaho
- Desmond Trevain Manago, Sex Trafficking of a Child, Seattle WA, 2014 · Idaho
Key Facts
- Agency: ATF
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Weapons|Organized Crime|Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Press Release
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