A dual citizen of Mexico and the United States was sentenced on July 14 to 104 months in prison for trafficking multi-kilogram quantities of fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine in New Jersey and other states. Edgar Lopez Razo, Jr., 30, received his sentence before U.S. District Judge Michael E. Farbiarz in Newark federal court and will also serve four years of supervised release.
Lopez Razo previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute controlled substances. According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court, Lopez Razo admitted that from approximately February 2022 through March 2024 he participated in a scheme involving booking a series of short-term property rentals used by himself and coconspirators to receive deliveries of narcotics. The group systematically changed rental addresses as a technique to evade law enforcement detection.
The investigation revealed that Lopez Razo and a coconspirator booked at least 27 rental properties across multiple locations throughout New Jersey and other states for receiving shipments of narcotics. Authorities seized over 31 kilograms of cocaine, more than nine kilograms of fentanyl, and nearly five kilograms of heroin during the operation.
U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer credited special agents from Homeland Security Investigations under Acting Special Agent in Charge Spiros Karabinas with leading the investigation that resulted in charges against Lopez Razo. 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 coordinates efforts among agencies such as FBI, HSI, IRS Criminal Investigation Division, and local law enforcement officers, and is led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey.
The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel H. Rosenblum from the Narcotics & International Trafficking Unit in Newark.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey prosecutes federal crimes across the state; it staffs about 170 attorneys and support personnel with offices located in Newark, Trenton, and Camden; it advances community safety through law enforcement coordination; its alumni include federal judges and U.S. senators; it represents the United States in civil matters statewide; it is part of the Department of Justice, according to the official website.