A Rockford man has been sentenced to 11 years in federal prison for attempting to import fentanyl into the United States from Mexico. Benigno Sanchez, aged 47, pleaded guilty earlier in the year to a charge of attempting to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. The sentence was delivered by U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston during a federal court hearing in Rockford.
Sanchez acknowledged that in March 2023, he was expecting a package with controlled substances to arrive at a Rockford address via FedEx from Mexico. The package, containing more than 500 grams of fentanyl pressed into pills designed to resemble opioid pills, was intercepted by law enforcement. The drugs were concealed inside a wooden tortilla press. Once law enforcement officers detected the fentanyl, they removed the drugs and arranged for the package to be delivered to Sanchez. Upon receiving the package, Sanchez took possession of it, transported it to another location, and opened it, believing he was taking possession of the drugs.
The announcement regarding the sentence came from Andrew S. Boutros, the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent-in-Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Chicago. The government’s case was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Ladd.
