Arizona man gets 10-year sentence for importing fentanyl
Nov 9, 2023, 7:39 AM
An Arizona man was sentenced Nov. 2, 2023, to 10 years in prison for his role in importing fentanyl into the United States. (DEA via AP)
(DEA via AP)
PHOENIX — An Arizona man was sentenced last week to 10 years in prison for his role in smuggling fentanyl into the United States, authorities said.
Gerardo Hernandez of Tucson, 40, previously pleaded guilty to importation of fentanyl in May, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona said.
Hernandez was a passenger in a vehicle that traveled from Mexico to the U.S. Mariposa Port of Entry in Nogales with an estimated 1.6 million fentanyl tablets.
The drugs were in the form of 30-milligram pills and weighed about 110 pounds.
Prosecutors said Hernandez knew the vehicle had controlled substances and agreed to import them into the country. The driver of the vehicle was unaware of his plot.
Hernandez has been convicted of 11 felonies and six misdemeanors since 2002.
Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Protection investigated the case.
