St. Croix Man Pleads Guilty to Causing Attempted Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl

St. Croix, VI - United States Attorney Adam F. Sleeper announced today that Mario Felix, 36, of St. Croix, pleaded guilty before Magistrate Judge Emile A. Henderson III on June 9, 2026, to the federal charge of causing the attempted possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. A federal judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

According to court documents, On December 31, 2022, a package was randomly selected for inspection during inbound examination of USPS mail. The box was opened by federal officers who found a book inside containing several plastic bags containing a total of 800 blue pills. A Drug Enforcement Administration laboratory analysist tested and confirmed that the pills contained 88.67 grams of fentanyl. The defendant’s fingerprints were found on the plastic bag containing the book.

Text messages discovered during the investigation between the defendant and an individual revealed that the defendant asked for the individual’s mailing address and last name. When the individual asked what he was sending, the defendant sent a picture of the book containing the fentanyl pills, stating that there was something inside the book. He told the individual that he was going to give the individual $800 once the individual received the package.

The charge of causing the attempted possession with intent to distribute fentanyl carries a mandatory minimum term of five years and a maximum term of 40 years of imprisonment.

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, Customs and Border Protection, and the United States Postal Inspection Service and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rhonda Williams-Henry.