Homeland Security Task Force Operation Discovers 500 Fentanyl Capsules (Disguised as Percocet) in the Mail

Aberdeen, MS - Medford Delon Eiland, 39, of Louisville, Mississippi, was sentenced to 51 months in federal prison and 5 years supervised release after previously pleading to Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl in Excess of forty grams. Senior U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock sentenced Eiland.

On March 7, 2022, a Priority Express Mail was mailed from Tolleson, Arizona and addressed to Eiland in Louisville, MS. A USPIS inspector identified the parcel as suspicious and detained it. After a federal search warrant was obtained, the parcel was opened and found to have a heat-sealed plastic bag holding numerous round blue tablets. Due to the risk of fentanyl exposure, the tablets were removed, and the parcel was returned for a controlled delivery to the residence. After the delivery, law enforcement units from USPIS, the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, the Mississippi Highway Patrol and the Winston County Sheriff's Office approached the residence. Eiland fled into a wooded area behind his home where he was subsequently located and detained. He stated he knew the package contained narcotics but was unaware it contained fentanyl. The USPIS Forensic Laboratory Services estimated the total number of dosage units to be 500 based on its weight. Chemical analysis identified fentanyl in the pills. Additionally, Eiland's fingerprints were located on the parcel.

U.S. Attorney Scott Leary stated, "Our country has been inundated with fentanyl since our borders opened in 2020. It has devastated families and destroyed communities. Individuals, including our young people, trust the wrong people and pay the ultimate price with their health or even their life. We are working on slowing this tragedy down by closing our borders and stopping the flow of illegal drugs on our streets. One way is through the prosecution of people like Mr. Eiland. We will continue to do our part in putting these traffickers behind bars. Please join us in spreading the word about the dangers of drug use."

"Mr. Eiland callously ordered a massive quantity of deadly fentanyl pills that would have continued poisoning our communities and destroying lives in the process," said Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Jackson Field Office Robert Eikhoff. "The FBI has zero tolerance for illegal drugs, and such criminal activity will not be tolerated. This sentencing underscores the commitment of the FBI, HSTF, and our law enforcement partners to safeguarding our communities from illegal drugs."

This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Jackson comprises agents and officers from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Customs and Border Protection - Office of Field Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection - U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Customs and Border Protection - Air and Marine Operations, U.S. Marshals Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO) with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Mississippi.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sam Stringfellow prosecuted this case.