Man Indicted for Smuggling 71 Pounds of Fentanyl Pills Across the US-Mexico Border

PHOENIX, Ariz. – On October 25, 2022, a federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment against Edwin Francisco Cubillas, 27, of Mexico, for Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl and Importation of Fentanyl into the United States from Mexico.

The indictment alleges that, on September 26, 2022, Cubillas entered the United States through San Luis, Arizona. At the Port of Entry, Customs and Border Protection Officers discovered 16 packages, containing blue circular pills that tested positive for fentanyl, hidden in Cubillas’s car. The combined weight of the packages exceeded 32 kilograms (71 pounds).

A conviction for each of the charged offenses carries a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $10,000,000 fine.

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.

Homeland Security Investigations is conducting the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:            CR-22-01400-PHX-DWL
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-204_Cubillas

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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/

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