Robert Hammer Acting Executive Associate Director, Homeland Security Investigations | U.S. Immigration And Customs Enforcement
An investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI) in Washington, D.C., has resulted in a Dominican national receiving a federal prison sentence of 15 years and eight months. Gregorio Gustavo DeJesus-Santos, aged 59, was sentenced on February 27 at the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia in Richmond for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and heroin, as well as illegally reentering the United States after a felony conviction.
"Not only did Gregorio Gustavo DeJesus-Santos blatantly ignore U.S. immigration laws, he also attempted to distribute poison in our Virginia neighborhoods," stated ICE HSI Washington, D.C. acting Special Agent in Charge Christopher Heck. He added that the case demonstrates effective cooperation between ICE HSI and partners such as the Virginia State Police and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The investigation revealed that on January 18, 2024, a Virginia State Police trooper stopped DeJesus-Santos on I-85 in Mecklenburg County. A police canine detected narcotics odor during the stop, leading to a search of his vehicle. Authorities found an empty hidden compartment under the passenger seat extending into the back seat area but released DeJesus-Santos after not finding drugs at that time.
DeJesus-Santos returned to Virginia shortly afterward and was again stopped for a traffic infraction. This time, law enforcement discovered two packages in the hidden compartment: one containing 200 grams of fentanyl and another with 293 grams of a mixture of fentanyl and heroin.
As part of his guilty plea, DeJesus-Santos admitted to obtaining and redistributing at least three additional kilograms of fentanyl.
He had been previously removed from the United States six times since 1996, most recently on October 18, 2022, following his release from prison on a felony drug charge in New York.
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