Mexican National Indicted for Possessing over 200,000 Fentanyl Pills with Intent to Distribute

FRESNO, Calif. - A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment today against Miguel Obed Romero Reyes, 25, of Sinaloa, Mexico, charging him with possessing over 400 grams of fentanyl with intent to distribute, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, Romero conspired with another individual to distribute and possess with intent to distribute over 400 grams of fentanyl. Romero was pulled over by law enforcement officers while driving north on Interstate 5 in Fresno County. Deputies seized a large duffel bag containing 48 pounds (21.8 kilograms) of blue counterfeit M-30 pills in 20 separate 1-gallon Ziploc bags. In total, Romero was transporting over 200,000 fentanyl pills in his car.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Fresno County Sheriff's Office and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cody S. Chapple is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Romero faces a statutory minimum of 10 years with a statutory maximum of life in prison, and a $10 million fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.