Man sentenced to over 5 years for attempting to smuggle fentanyl into Arizona
May 10, 2024, 1:00 PM
A man caught smuggling fentanyl into Arizona last year was sentenced to over five years in prison on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. (Arizona Department of Public Safety and AP File photos)
(Arizona Department of Public Safety and AP File photos)
PHOENIX — A man caught smuggling fentanyl into Arizona last year was sentenced to over five years in prison on Wednesday, authorities announced.
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Francisco Nicolas Orozco-Montijo, 28, a U.S. citizen who lived in Mexico, was sentenced to 63 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona.
Orozco-Montijo previously pleaded guilty to importation of fentanyl on Feb. 5.
Here’s how the man bringing fentanyl into Arizona was busted
Prosecutors said Orozco-Montijo applied to enter into the country through the DeConcini Port of Entry in Nogales in March 2023.
While border patrol agents searched through his vehicle, they found over 50 kilograms (110 pounds) of fentanyl hidden within the spare tire and rear quarter panels of the car.
Homeland Security Investigations handled the investigation in the case.
