Ten defendants have been convicted and sentenced in a cross-country fentanyl distribution conspiracy, culminating today with the sentencing of Carlos Moctezuma Sandoval Romero to 11 years and three months in prison.
The conspiracy, investigated by the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) Washington, D.C., began in November 2022, involving the distribution of thousands of counterfeit fentanyl pills. Sandoval Romero, 26, facilitated the operation by mailing pills from California to co-conspirators in Virginia and Maryland, who then paid him and collected money from others.
Several conspirators were found with firearms during their drug trafficking activities. Haydee Giselle Barrera Serrano, 23, and Olivia Jade Bush, 24, were involved in straw purchasing firearms for co-conspirator Jonathan Ordoñez. Ordoñez, 20, received a 16-year, three-month sentence for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and using a firearm during a drug trafficking crime.
Other significant sentences include Amir Jose Villalta, 24, who received 11 years and eight months, and Jose Eduardo Funes, 22, sentenced to 15 years. Steven Giovanny Santos-Bonilla, 21, and Erik Venancio Turcios Benavides, 24, also received substantial sentences of 16 years and three months, and 15 years respectively, for their roles, which included firearm offenses. Younis Fakhrudin Abdulkadir, 20, and Raul Ernesto Bermudez, 21, each received 10-year sentences for their involvement in the fentanyl conspiracy.
This case highlights the ongoing efforts of the HSTF, a multi-agency partnership established by Executive Order 14159, dedicated to combating criminal cartels and transnational criminal organizations operating within the United States. The investigation involved the DEA, FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and local police departments.