Bergen County Man Sentenced to 210 Months in Prison for Fentanyl Trafficking

NEWARK, N.J. - A Bergen County man who trafficked kilos of fentanyl from his family home was sentenced on June 26, 2026, to 210 months in prison and 5 years of supervised release before the Honorable U.S. District Judge Stanley R. Chesler, in Newark federal court, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

Plinio Junior Pineda Lopez, 35, Oakland, New Jersey was convicted following a four-day trial before Judge Chesler in Newark federal court of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute over 400 grams of fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute over 400 grams of fentanyl and over 500 grams of cocaine.

"The defendant transformed his family home into a staging ground for fentanyl trafficking, prioritizing profit over public safety. Fentanyl already destroys families, and this defendant took that danger one step further by bringing it directly into a home with young children. This significant sentence holds him accountable for helping spread a drug responsible for unprecedented loss of life, and serves as a warning to others engaged in the fentanyl trade."

- U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer

"Plinio Junior Pineda Lopez's sentencing marks a major victory in Homeland Security Investigations' fight against the dangerous fentanyl threat," said HSI Newark Acting Special Agent in Charge Spiros Karabinas. "By dismantling this trafficking network, we and our partners removed cartel-level quantities of fentanyl from the streets and prevented countless overdoses. We remain committed to using every law enforcement tool and partnership available to stop those who endanger American lives."

According to documents filed in this case and evidence at trial:

Lopez directed and conspired with others to distribute large quantities of fentanyl between Florida and New Jersey. Following an extensive investigation of Lopez's drug activity in Jacksonville, Miami, and Bergen County, law enforcement arrested Lopez on July 11, 2023, in Wallington, New Jersey when he attempted to conduct a narcotics transaction involving over one kilogram of fentanyl. Following his arrest, and pursuant to a court-authorized search warrant, law enforcement searched Lopez's home and recovered an extensive quantity of fentanyl and cocaine that was hidden in air ducts and appliances throughout his home, where children were present. Through this investigation, law enforcement recovered a total of approximately nine kilograms of fentanyl and approximately one kilogram of cocaine.

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Spiros Karabinas in Newark; HSI Miami, HSI Jacksonville, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air and Marine Operations (AMO) and CBP Office of Field Operations (OFO), the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) New York Drug Enforcement Task Force, the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office, the Oakland Police Department, and the Westwood Police Department, under the direction of Chief Michael Pontillo, with the investigation that led to the charges and conviction.

This investigation is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Goldberg, Chief of the Narcotics and International Trafficking Unit, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alison Thompson of the Organized Crime/Gang Unit in Newark.

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Defense counsel: Carol Dominguez, Esq.