Lizbet Sanchez-Alvear, a 29-year-old resident of Dade City, was sentenced to 16 years in federal prison for her role in distributing fentanyl and methamphetamine. The sentencing was handed down by U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Hernandez Covington. Cecelia Yalitza Ruiz, also 29 and from Dade City, received a sentence of 27 months in federal prison for destroying evidence related to the investigation into Sanchez-Alvear’s activities. Sanchez-Alvear pleaded guilty on October 27, 2025, while Ruiz entered her guilty plea on August 12, 2025. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe.
Court documents indicate that over a three-year period, Sanchez-Alvear served as the main supplier and broker for mid-level narcotics dealers in Pasco County. She distributed at least 50 kilograms of methamphetamine and three kilograms of fentanyl to one dealer alone. Her operation involved connecting suppliers from Mexico and Atlanta with local dealers in the Middle District of Florida, brokering numerous deals and receiving payment for these services. Narcotics transactions were her primary source of income, and she often conducted them in the presence of her young children.
On March 6, 2025, Sanchez-Alvear arranged for a customer to collect 4.5 kilograms of methamphetamine from a supplier in Apopka; law enforcement later seized these drugs.
On March 11, 2025, federal and local law enforcement attempted to interview Sanchez-Alvear regarding her narcotics activities as she left a restaurant in Zephyrhills with Ruiz. Upon realizing law enforcement's intent, Ruiz became agitated and caused a disturbance before retrieving Sanchez-Alvear’s phone—known to contain evidence—from her vehicle and destroying it. During questioning breaks, Ruiz informed Sanchez-Alvear about the destroyed phone; Sanchez-Alvear then instructed Ruiz not to hand over the device to officers. Ruiz left the scene with the destroyed phone, which was never recovered.
Ruiz has prior convictions for assaulting law enforcement officers.
The investigation involved multiple agencies: Tampa Police Department, Pasco Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Assistant United States Attorney David Pardo prosecuted the case.
U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe stated: "This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime."
