Mexican National With Two Prior Deportations Sentenced To 10 Years In Prison For Drug Trafficking Of Fentanyl

LAS VEGAS - A Mexican national who twice illegally reentered the United States after previously being removed from the country was sentenced today by United States District Judge Gloria M. Navarro to 10 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release for his role in the trafficking of fentanyl to Nevada, Colorado, and California.

Marco Antonio Quezada-Ramirez is a citizen and national of Mexico and he pleaded guilty to one-count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.

According to court documents, Marco Antonio Quezada-Ramirez admitted that beginning on a date unknown and continuing up to on or about September 19, 2023, there was an agreement between him and his co-defendants to distribute fentanyl in the United States. As part of the agreement, Quezada-Ramirez admitted that on June 8, 2023, he a sold approximately 600 fentanyl pills, and on July 12, 2023, he sold approximately 500 fentanyl pills. On July 31, 2023, Quezada-Ramirez received a shipment of approximately 30,000 fentanyl pills that was intended for resale. Law enforcement recovered the 30,000 fentanyl pills during a traffic stop in Las Vegas along with cocaine and heroin.

United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Deputy Special Agent in Charge Anthony Chrysanthis for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Los Angeles Division, which oversees Las Vegas, made the announcement.

This case was investigated by the DEA and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Melanee Smith prosecuted the case.

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States, using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

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