Arizona drug trafficker sentenced to 15 years in prison

PHOENIX – An Arizona drug trafficker was sentenced to 15 years in prison for distributing fentanyl and methamphetamine across the United States, authorities announced this week.

Peter Vega, 38, of Rio Rico, was sentenced June 11, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Arizona announced in a news release Monday. Rio Rico is approximately 13 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border crossing at Nogales.

A judge also ordered Vega to serve five years of supervised release after his release from federal prison.

Vega pleaded guilty in March to three counts: possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and conspiracy to launder a monetary instrument.

Prosecutors say he ran a drug trafficking operation that involved distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl across the country, including through the U.S. Postal Service.

He also helped launder drug proceeds in Arizona through bank accounts held by third parties.

The Arizona drug trafficker fled to Mexico after being indicted, but U.S. and Mexican authorities found him in Mexico in January 2023, according to Monday's release. The Mexican government deported him to the United States for prosecution.

The case was part of the Justice Department's Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Forces, an initiative that targets high-level criminal organizations.

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