Sentences announced in 3 federal drug cases in Arizona

PHOENIX — Federal authorities announced sentences on Wednesday for convictions in three Arizona drug cases.

A 33-year-old Avondale man, Ramon Renteria, was sentenced on Jan. 15 to 64 months in prison after pleading guilty to possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, according to the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona.

Following his time in prison, Renteria will have four years of supervised release and be required to to pay $7,000 in restitution.

Prosecutors said that on Dec. 2, 2020, approximately 31.1 kilograms of methamphetamine were seized by law enforcement in connection with Renteria’s role in coordinating the transportation of drug loads from Tucson to Phoenix.

The other two federal drug cases were both sentenced on Jan. 20 and involved Mexican nationals.

Sebastian Martinez-Romero, 22, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine and was sentenced to 78 months in prison, which is to be followed by three years of supervised release, according to prosecutors.

On April 30, 2024, Martinez-Romero and others were discovered in Tucson to be in possession of approximately 40 kilograms of powder and pills containing fentanyl as well as more than 55 pounds of methamphetamine.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office said that Martinez-Romero and his companions planned to deliver the drugs to other people later that day.

Meanwhile, 50-year-old Aaron Leopoldo Aguirre-Gutierrez was sentenced to four years in prison after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute cocaine.

Those years in prison will be followed by three years of supervised release, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Between February and August in 2024, Aguirre-Gutierrez and others distributed approximately 19 kilograms of powder cocaine in Tucson, prosecutors said.

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