Gabriel Alexis Perez-Espinoza, a 29-year-old Mexican national living illegally in the United States, was sentenced to 70 months in prison and three years of supervised release. This sentence was delivered today in Salt Lake City, Utah, following his guilty plea in January 2025 to possession of heroin with intent to distribute.
Perez-Espinoza was apprehended on August 3, 2021, when Utah County Sheriff deputies stopped the Ford F-150 he was driving near Spanish Fork Canyon, Utah. Subsequently, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents discovered approximately 4,446 grams of methamphetamine and 1,227.7 grams of heroin in a hidden compartment under the vehicle. Before his arrest, DEA agents, functioning undercover, had been in communication with him about purchasing narcotics.
In addition to this case, court documents reveal that in 2020, Perez-Espinoza was convicted for re-entering the United States after removal, having been deported six times between 2015 and 2020.
Acting U.S. Attorney Felice John Viti of the District of Utah commented on the efforts to reduce narcotics and violence, stating: “Thanks to this collaborative effort, we were able to successfully seize lethal drugs from potentially being distributed in our communities and prosecute the responsible offender who was in the United States illegally.”
Jonathan Pullen, DEA Rocky Mountain Field Division Special Agent in Charge, added: “This is another example of DEA Special Agents working closely with our local and federal partners to ensure we get dangerous drugs being trafficked in Utah out of our neighborhoods.”
The case was managed by the DEA with support from the Utah County Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Assistant United States Attorney Seth Nielsen handled the prosecution under the framework of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). More information about OCDETF can be found at their official website.
