Illegal Alien and Arizona Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Mailing Kilograms of Fentanyl to Atlanta

ATLANTA – Walter Alexander Argueta-Aguilar, an illegal alien from El Salvador, and Jorge Manuel Zamora Cano have been sentenced for their roles in shipping and distributing tens of thousands of fentanyl-laced pills disguised as prescription medication.

“Argueta-Aguilar and Cano profited from the opioid epidemic and endangered thousands of lives by trafficking fentanyl-laced pills resembling actual medicine,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg “Thanks to collaboration among our law enforcement partners, these defendants, including an illegal alien, have been prevented from causing further harm in our community.”

“The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General is committed to combating the deadly fentanyl crisis facing our nation by holding those accountable that believe they can misuse the U.S. Mail to traffic drugs,” said Tammy Hull, Inspector General, U.S. Postal Service. “Our special agents, along with our federal and local law enforcement partners, will always work together to aggressively investigate these federal crimes to ensure the integrity of the nation’s postal system. We appreciate the U.S. Attorney's Office in Atlanta for their support and prosecution of this case.”

According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: In February 2024, federal agents began investigating Argueta-Aguilar, an illegal alien who was living in Norcross, Georgia, for receiving mail parcels containing counterfeit pills with the imprint M30, which is a common imprint on legitimate oxycodone tablets. On March 19, 2024, federal agents intercepted a package Cano shipped to Argueta-Aguilar from Arizona. The package contained more than 125 grams of fentanyl-laced blue M30 pills in a vacuum-sealed plastic baggie.

The investigation revealed that, between July 2023 and March 2024, Cano mailed dozens of packages containing over 50,000 blue M30 fentanyl pills to the Atlanta area. Argueta-Aguilar received more than 28,000 of the pills. The pills were often concealed in items such as stuffed animals to avoid detection.

Both defendants subsequently pled guilty to drug trafficking-related offenses and received the following sentences:

• Walter Alexander Argueta-Aguilar, 21, of Sonsonate, El Salvador, pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and attempted possession with intent to distribute fentanyl on March 5, 2025. He was sentenced to five years in prison on July 7, 2025, and will face deportation from the United States.
• Jorge Manuel Zamora Cano, 23, of Mesa, Arizona, pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and unlawful use of a communication facility on May 8, 2025. He was sentenced to ten years in prison and five years of supervised release on September 17, 2025.

This case was investigated by the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, with support from Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Gwinnett County Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jamil A. Favors, Laurel B. Milam, and Benjamin Wylly prosecuted the case.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at www.justthinktwice.gov and www.getsmartaboutdrugs.gov. Additional resources on fentanyl and fentanyl pills, as well as prevention and treatment, are available at www.dea.gov/onepill.

For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.