Washington Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Trafficking Fentanyl

EUGENE, Ore.— Jesus Paul Zazueta, 28, of Yakima, Washington, was sentenced today to 90 months in federal prison and four years’ supervised release for trafficking fentanyl.

According to court documents, on October 4, 2021, Zazueta was a passenger in a vehicle involved in an accident in Deschutes County, Oregon. Officers from the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office and Oregon State Police responded to the accident and received consent to search the vehicle. The officers located two bags in the trunk containing approximately five pounds of fentanyl pills and a semi-automatic firearm.

When questioned by officers, Zazueta admitted to trafficking the fentanyl and owning the firearm. Zazueta also admitted to packing the bag containing fentanyl and the firearm and expected to be paid for trafficking the fentanyl to Washington.

On July 20, 2023, a federal grand jury in Eugene returned a two-count indictment charging Zazueta with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

On May 21, 2025, Zazueta pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Oregon State Police, and the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Adam Delph, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid 80 to 100 times more powerful than morphine and 30 to 50 times more powerful than heroin. A 2-milligram dose of fentanyl—a few grains of the substance—is enough to kill an average adult male. The wide availability of illicit fentanyl in Oregon has caused a dramatic increase in overdose deaths throughout the state.

If you are in immediate danger, please call 911.

If you or someone you know suffers from addiction, please call the Lines for Life substance abuse helpline at 1-800-923-4357 or visit www.linesforlife.org. Phone support is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also text “RecoveryNow” to 839863 between 2pm and 6pm Pacific Time daily.