In a sentencing that highlights the severity of the opioid crisis, 24-year-old Brayan Missael Nunez-Mendoza of Sacramento received more than four years in federal prison. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, he was convicted of distributing counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl and para-fluorofentanyl, a powerful fentanyl analogue.
The crime took place on September 29, 2022, when Nunez-Mendoza sold about 1,000 pills made to resemble prescription oxycodone “M-30” tablets. The deal, valued at $2,500, occurred in Sacramento and tied him to a Mexico-based drug trafficking organization.
U.S. District Judge William B. Shubb delivered the sentence, reinforcing federal efforts to dismantle illegal drug distribution networks. The conviction and sentencing form part of Operation Take Back America, an initiative aimed at eliminating cartel operations and transnational criminal groups responsible for smuggling fentanyl into the United States. The Justice Department has had to adapt quickly to the evolving drug market, as fentanyl continues to fuel a nationwide crisis.
Nunez-Mendoza’s arrest and conviction resulted from a multi-agency investigation involving the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI, California Highway Patrol, Sacramento Sheriff’s Office, and the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Spencer and Haddy Abouzeid prosecuted the case, demonstrating how federal and local agencies are working together to reduce the flood of lethal substances on American streets.
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