On Thursday, September 18, 2025, Walter Alexander Argueta-Aguilar, an illegal alien from El Salvador, and Jorge Manuel Zamora Cano were sentenced for shipping and distributing tens of thousands of fentanyl-laced pills masquerading as prescription medication.
“Argueta-Aguilar and Cano profited from the opioid epidemic and endangered thousands of lives by trafficking fentanyl-laced pills resembling actual medicine,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg, “Thanks to collaboration among our law enforcement partners, these defendants, including an illegal alien, have been prevented from causing further harm in our community.”
“The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General is committed to combating the deadly fentanyl crisis facing our nation by holding those accountable that believe they can misuse the U.S. Mail to traffic drugs,” said Tammy Hull, Inspector General, U.S. Postal Service. “Our special agents, along with our federal and local law enforcement partners, will always work together to aggressively investigate these federal crimes to ensure the integrity of the nation’s postal system. We appreciate the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta for their support and prosecution of this case.”
According to United States Attorney Hertzberg, the charges and other facts presented in court:In February 2024, federal investigators began investigating Argueta-Aguilar, an illegal alien residing in Norcross, Georgia, for receiving mail parcels containing counterfeit pills bearing the imprint M30, which is prevalent on authentic oxycodone tablets. On March 19, 2024, federal investigators intercepted a package Cano had sent to Argueta-Aguilar from Arizona. The delivery contained over 125 grams of fentanyl-laced blue M30 pills in a vacuum-sealed plastic container.
Between July 2023 and March 2024, Cano delivered hundreds of parcels containing over 50,000 blue M30 fentanyl tablets to Atlanta. Argueta-Aguilar received almost 28,000 pills. To prevent detection, the pills were frequently hidden inside teddy animals.
Both offenders later pleaded guilty to drug trafficking-related charges and received the following sentences:
- Walter Alexander Argueta-Aguilar, 21, of Sonsonate, El Salvador, pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and attempted possession with intent to distribute fentanyl on March 5, 2025. He was sentenced to five years in prison on July 7, 2025, and will face deportation from the United States.
- Jorge Manuel Zamora Cano, 23, of Mesa, Arizona, pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and unlawful use of a communication facility on May 8, 2025. He was sentenced to ten years in prison and five years of supervised release on September 17, 2025
The United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General investigated this case, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Gwinnett County Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorneys Jamil A. Favors, Laurel B. Milam, and Benjamin Wylly prosecuted the case.
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