Arizona drug trafficker sentenced to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty

PHOENIX – A convicted Arizona drug trafficker was recently sentenced to 15 years in prison, authorities announced Wednesday.

Victor Manual Vargas received his punishment last Tuesday, about a month after pleading guilty to illegally conducting an enterprise and possessing dangerous drugs for sale.

Vargas was originally indicted in June 2024 on nine counts, but most of the charges were dismissed as part of his plea deal.

Two other defendants in the case, Perla Vargas and Paulo Quezada Espinoza, have yet to be tried.

What was seized during Arizona drug trafficking investigation

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Scottsdale Police Department combined to broke up the Arizona drug ring.

As part of the investigation, authorities seized about 142 pounds of methamphetamine, 53 pounds of fentanyl (approximately 241,000 pills), 3 pounds of cocaine, 1.5 pounds of heroin, $24,000 in cash and a handgun.

The Drug and Racketeering Enforcement Section of the Arizona Attorney General’s Office Criminal Division prosecuted Vargas.

“My office continues to work in lockstep with local law enforcement and federal partners as we fight to take down criminal drug traffickers and stop the flow of fentanyl through our state,” Attorney General Kris Mayes said in a press release.

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