Man Indicted Following Seizure of More Than 150 Pounds of Fentanyl at Border Patrol Checkpoint

PHOENIX, Ariz. – Isidro Pantoja-Ramirez, 57, of Mexicali, Mexico, was indicted last week by a federal grand jury on one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl.

The United States alleges that, on March 24, 2023, Pantoja-Ramirez was stopped while in a vehicle at a Border Patrol checkpoint located between Yuma and Wellton, Arizona. United States Border Patrol agents conducted an inspection that revealed a total of 16 packages hidden within the vehicle’s tailgate and spare tire. The total weight of the packages was more than 150 pounds, and they contained a substance that field tested positive for the presence of fentanyl.

A conviction for Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a maximum fine of $1,000,000, and up to lifetime supervised release.

An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

The Drug Enforcement Administration, Yuma Office, is conducting the investigation in this case. Assistant United States Attorney Joshua B. Tesoriero, District of Arizona, Yuma, is handling the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           CR-23-00594-MTL
RELEASE NUMBER:    2023-064_Pantoja-Ramirez

# # #

For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.