Mexican National Sentenced to 228 Months in Prison

FORT WAYNE – Heriberto Martinez Contreras, 24 years old, of Mexico, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, announced Acting United States Attorney M. Scott Proctor.

Martinez Contreras was sentenced to a total of 228 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release.

According to documents in the case, Martinez Contreras is an alien illegally present in the United States.  He led and organized a mission from Indianapolis to Fort Wayne to deliver ten pounds of methamphetamine for an anticipated $18,000 payday. Law enforcement intercepted the delivery in Fort Wayne and, after a traffic stop, recovered the drugs along with an AK-style rifle, four high-capacity magazines, and ammunition.  Laboratory testing later confirmed the methamphetamine to be approximately 97% pure, weighing over 4.3 kilograms. 

“Heriberto Martinez Contreras wanted to sell ten pounds of near-pure poison to those who would distribute it across our communities,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Proctor.  “And he was willing to take dangerous measures to protect that transaction, as he demonstrated when he armed himself with a style of high-powered rifle best known for its reliability in combat.  Thankfully, the excellent work of our law enforcement team ended Martinez Contrera’s attempt to extract a profit from the suffering that drugs like methamphetamine inflict on Americans.  This case should leave no doubt in the minds of foreign criminals: if you come to northern Indiana to ply your trade, you will be discovered, you will be prosecuted, you will pay for your crimes with many years of your life, and you will then be deported.”

“Today’s guilty plea makes clear that the FBI will not tolerate drug traffickers who combine deadly narcotics with firepower,” said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge, Timothy O’Malley. “Heriberto Martinez Contreras, an illegal alien, sought to deliver ten pounds of methamphetamine of near total purity while armed with an AK-style rifle and multiple magazines of ammunition. His actions represent not only a severe threat to public safety, but also highlight the dangers posed to our country when individuals who are in the United States illegally engage in violent criminal activity.  The FBI remains resolute in its mission to protect our communities and safeguard our nation by dismantling trafficking operations and ensuring that violent offenders face justice.”

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Fort Wayne Police Department, the Indiana State Police, the Allen County Sheriff’s Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration North Central Laboratory, and the Indiana State Police Regional Laboratory.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Teresa L. Ashcraft.

This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation and furthers the mission of both the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) and Operation Take Back America. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.  HSTF and Operation Take Back America specifically target those involved in transnational crime, including those who traffic in illegal drugs.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.