El Salvadoran Man Convicted of Fentanyl Trafficking, Firearms Offenses, and Illegal Entry

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – An El Salvadoran national has been found guilty in federal court of trafficking fentanyl, illegally possessing firearms, and unlawful entry to the United States.

Jose Navarrete-Hernandez, 42, was found guilty of one count each of possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute, possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, possessing a firearm as an illegal alien, possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number, and illegal entry into the United States. United States District Judge M. Douglas Harpool issued a verdict Monday, June 23, 2025, following a one-day bench trial on May 12, 2025.

On May 11, 2023, officers with the Carthage, Mo., Police Department conducted a traffic stop on a gray Ford F-250 with an expired Texas license plate driven by Navarrete-Hernandez. After confirming that Navarrete-Hernandez did not have a valid driver’s license, the officers searched Navarrete-Hernandez and the F-250.

Officers found in the truck a black backpack containing two drug scales, two glass pipes with white powdery residue, approximately 145 fentanyl pills, a Heritage Rough Rider revolver, ammunition, and a forged social security card. Officers also found a Raven P-25 pistol with an obliterated serial number in the truck.  At the time, Navarrete-Hernandez was not a citizen or national of the United States and had entered the United States at a place other than a designated port of entry.

Under federal statutes, Navarrete-Hernandez is subject to a sentence of up to Life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey Clark and Patrick Carney. It was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Missouri State Highway Patrol; and the Carthage, Mo., Police Department.

Operation Take Back America

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).