Ten people have admitted guilt in a Pennsylvania federal court this week over charges linked to a transnational drug operation, announced Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti. The admissions come from individuals residing in different parts of the United States and Mexico, including a member from the Foreign Terrorist Organization, Cártel de Sinaloa, and one individual who was unlawfully residing in the United States. These defendants were among the 35 people initially implicated by a Second Superseding Indictment unsealed in January 2024 for their roles in a narcotics and money laundering conspiracy which involved significant quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine.
The list of defendants who pled guilty this week, under the oversight of United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan, includes Humberto Arredondo-Soto from Culiacan, Mexico; Jaime Ledesma, Stephanie Ortiz, Samuel Aguirre, Jesus Lopez, Diego Monarrez, Adrian Lopez Rivera, and Luis Fentanes, all from Phoenix, Arizona; Donnell Collins from Cleveland, Ohio; and Mohamed Kariye from Kent, Washington.
The court illuminated that from around August 2021 to around June 2023, the defendants engaged in a conspiracy to possess and distribute substantial quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine across regions such as the Western District of Pennsylvania and elsewhere. Specific details revealed that Arredondo-Soto, Ledesma, Ortiz, Aguirre, Lopez, Rivera, and Monarrez distributed over 400 grams of fentanyl and over 500 grams of methamphetamine, with the exception of Monarrez, who also distributed over five kilograms of cocaine. From the same timeline, Collins and Fentanes were involved in distributing similar quantities of drugs, with Kariye distributing fentanyl only. Additionally, Aguirre was charged for conspiring to commit money laundering related to drug proceeds, which involved significant cash flow to Mexico.
Arredondo-Soto, a Mexican citizen tied to the Sinaloa Cartel, was identified as the DTO's main supplier, responsible for supplying millions of fentanyl pills and vast amounts of methamphetamine. Military-grade firearms were also trafficked as payment to him in exchange for these drugs. He was arrested in November 2023 by authorities in Mexico and extradited to the United States by February 2024.
The sentencing hearing is scheduled for November 3-5, 2025. The potential consequences for the defendants range from a minimum of 10 years to life imprisonment, accompanied by fines up to $10 million; for Kariye, the sentence could vary from a minimum of five years up to 40 years with fines reaching up to $5 million. Sentencing details will consider the gravity of the offenses and the defendant's prior criminal records.
With these new guilty pleas, 19 out of the 35 individuals charged have admitted guilt, with six already sentenced. Among those sentenced is Mark Camacho from Phoenix, Arizona, who received a 57-month prison sentence this week.
Prosecutors handling the case include Assistant United States Attorneys Arnold P. Bernard Jr. and Tonya S. Goodman. The Federal Bureau of Investigation's Laurel Highlands Resident Agency and Homeland Security Investigations spearheaded the investigation, backed by several agencies including the IRS – Criminal Investigation, and the United States Postal Inspection Service.
This legal action is a segment of Operation Take Back America—an extensive Department of Justice initiative aimed at dismantling criminal cartels and transnational crimes, along with combating illegal immigration and violent crime. It aligns the resources of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
