Tucson woman convicted of trafficking 453,000 pills containing fentanyl

PHOENIX — A Tucson woman was sentenced Tuesday to 60 months in prison for trafficking approximately 453,000 pills containing fentanyl and one kilogram of fentanyl powder.

Alegria Pompeya Mendoza-Castro, 30, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl on November 16, 2023.

How did Tucson woman get caught with fentanyl?

On April 20, 2023, Mendoza-Castro traveled from Mexico through the DeConcini port of entry in Nogales, officials said. During an inspection of his vehicle, authorities found pills containing fentanyl and fentanyl powder in the spare tire.

This case is part of a strike force operation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). The OCDETF Strike Force Initiative identifies, disrupts and dismantles higher-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States, officials say. The OCDETF uses a “prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.”

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 played a role in the investigation.

David Petermann, an assistant district attorney in Arizona, prosecuted the case.