Arizona man sentenced to 15 years for trafficking fentanyl, methamphetamine

PHOENIX – An Arizona drug trafficker has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for distributing fentanyl and methamphetamine across the U.S., authorities announced this week.

Peter Vega, 38, of Rio Rico was sentenced on June 11, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona said in a press release Monday. Rio Rico is about 13 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border crossing in Nogales.

A judge also ordered Vega to undergo five years of supervised release after his release from federal prison.

Vega pleaded guilty in March to three charges: possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and conspiracy to launder a monetary instrument.

Prosecutors say he led a drug trafficking operation that distributed methamphetamine and fentanyl throughout the country, including through the U.S. mail service.

He also helped launder the drug sale proceeds back to Arizona through bank accounts held by third parties.

The Arizona drug trafficker fled to Mexico after being indicted, but U.S. and Mexican authorities tracked him down in Mexico in January 2023, according to Monday’s press release. The Mexican government deported him to the U.S. to be prosecuted.

The case was part of the Justice Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, an initiative that targets high-level criminal organizations.

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