Alegria Pompeya Mendoza-Castro, a 30-year-old resident of Tucson, has been sentenced to five years in prison for her role in a major fentanyl trafficking operation. United States District Judge John C. Hinderaker handed down the sentence on Tuesday, following Mendoza-Castro’s guilty plea to charges of Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl and Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl.
The case against Mendoza-Castro began on April 20, 2023, when she crossed the border from Mexico at the DeConcini Port of Entry in Nogales. During a routine inspection of her vehicle, authorities discovered a staggering 453,000 fentanyl-laced pills and one kilogram of fentanyl powder concealed in the spare tire.
This arrest is part of a broader effort by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force, which aims to dismantle high-level criminal organizations that pose significant threats to the United States. The OCDETF employs a multi-agency, intelligence-driven approach led by prosecutors to identify and disrupt these networks. More information on the OCDETF Program can be found [here](https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF).
The investigation into Mendoza-Castro’s activities was a collaborative effort involving multiple agencies, including Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Arizona Department of Public Safety. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Petermann from the District of Arizona, Tucson.
