Fernando Hernandez, 45, of Council Bluffs, Iowa, was sentenced on July 10 in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, after being found guilty by a jury of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and distribution of methamphetamine. Chief United States District Court Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Hernandez to 235 months’ imprisonment with no possibility of parole under the federal system. Upon release from prison, Hernandez will serve a ten-year term of supervised release and has forfeited any claim to more than $30,000 and a vehicle seized during the investigation.
According to United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods, Hernandez was involved with a Mexican source supplying methamphetamine to the Omaha and Council Bluffs areas. He acted as a local courier distributing drugs across Nebraska and Iowa. On October 2, 2025, law enforcement used a cooperating witness who ordered one pound of methamphetamine from the Mexican supplier; the cooperator was sent to an Omaha location where Hernandez delivered the drugs. After this delivery, Hernandez met with other individuals who were later stopped by law enforcement and found in possession of another pound of methamphetamine and $4,000.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative established by Executive Order 14159: Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The task force is described as “a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad.” The initiative emphasizes investigating crimes involving children as well as prosecuting violent criminal aliens.
The Homeland Security Task Force in Omaha includes agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CI), along with assistance from Douglas County Sheriff’s Office; prosecutions are led by the United States Attorney’s Office for Nebraska.
The U.S. Attorney for the District of Nebraska advances community well-being through coordinated law enforcement efforts that safeguard residents; uses facilities in both Omaha’s federal courthouse and Lincoln’s federal building; is part of the U.S. Department of Justice; prosecutes federal crimes while handling civil cases for the government; serves all regions within Nebraska; and collaborates closely with various law enforcement agencies at all levels to enhance public safety, according to the official website.