An illegal alien from Mexico pleaded guilty to heroin trafficking last week in federal court in Mississippi.

Pablo Vega-Ontanon, 53, an illegal alien from Mexico living in Georgia, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden to possession with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Jere T. Miles with Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans.

On November 6, 2018, Vega-Ontanon and two co-defendants arrived in Gulfport to sell heroin to a confidential informant. They claimed to have ten kilograms of heroin hidden in a compartment of their vehicle. All three were arrested shortly thereafter. The substance was eventually tested and found to contain nine kilograms of heroin and one kilogram of fentanyl.

That amount of fentanyl can produce one million fatal doses.

Vega-Ontanon was indicted on November 27, 2018, along with co-defendants Eder Ortega- Casarrubias and Eric Estudillo Carrazco.

Vega-Ontanon will be sentenced by Judge Ozerden at 9 a.m. on September 23, 2019, and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $10,000,000 fine.

Ortega- Casarrubias pled guilty on March 20, 2019 and will be sentenced by Judge Ozerden on June 26, 2019. Carrazco is awaiting trial.

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John Meynardie.