Jose De Jesus Martinez, 25, of Avondale, was sentenced on July 13 by United States District Judge Sharad H. Desai to five years in prison and three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, according to a July 22 announcement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona.
Martinez was apprehended on May 5, 2025, near Phoenix while delivering approximately 150,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl. Authorities seized about 13.3 kilograms of drugs during his arrest.
Fentanyl is described as a synthetic opioid that is fifty times more potent than heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office stated that just two milligrams can be potentially deadly and warned that counterfeit pills containing fentanyl often resemble legitimate prescription medications but are frequently sold through social media or other unauthorized sources. The office emphasized: “Legitimate pharmaceutical pills cannot be bought through social media. The only safe medications are ones prescribed directly to you by a trusted medical professional and dispensed by a licensed pharmacist.”
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established under Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, HSTF is a collaborative effort involving multiple federal agencies dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels and transnational criminal organizations operating within and outside the United States.
The Glendale Police Department provided significant assistance in this case alongside agencies such as the Drug Enforcement Administration; Homeland Security Investigations; Federal Bureau of Investigation; Immigration and Customs Enforcement; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; United States Marshals Service; Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation; ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations; United States Customs and Border Protection; United States Border Patrol; United States Postal Inspection Service; United States Secret Service; Bureau of Land Management—and with prosecution led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona.
The U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona advances community wellness through outreach programs and victim advocacy, serves as a component of the Department of Justice with about 180 assistant attorneys and 160 support staff members, handles federal prosecutions while coordinating law enforcement efforts across Arizona—including its border with Mexico—and works closely with federal, tribal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, according to its official website.