Annadale man sentenced to 15 years in prison for federal drug and firearms charges

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An Annandale man was sentenced today to 15 years in prison for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.

According to court documents, on June 20, 2024, law enforcement observed Marcantonio Juarez Velasquez, 20, conducting a hand-to-hand narcotics transaction in Fairfax County and subsequently obtained an arrest warrant. On Aug. 2, 2024, officers located and arrested Juarez Velasquez. At the time of his arrest, Juarez Velasquez was in possession of a handgun, an extended magazine containing 15 rounds of ammunition, $949.83, and 258 fentanyl pills.

While Juarez Velasquez was detained pending trial, he directed a minor to conceal fentanyl pills, a firearm, and cash within the residence of Juarez Velasquez’s family. On Aug. 6, 2024, officers searched the residence and found 9,220 fentanyl pills, $2,344, a handgun, and two ammunition magazines, along with an identification card and debit card belonging to Juarez Velasquez.

Lindsey Halligan, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; and Kevin Davis, Fairfax County Chief of Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Michael S. Nachmanoff.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel K. Amzallag and Ronald L. Walutes Jr. prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:25-cr-163.