He was one of three busted with enough fentanyl to kill half a million people. Now he’s headed to federal prison.

Published 11:55 am Monday, September 9, 2019

An illegal alien arrested last year trying to sell heroin to a confidential informant will spend more than six years in federal prison.

When agents arrested Pablo Vega-Ontanon, 53, in Mississippi, they seized 9 kilograms of heroin and 1 kilogram of fentanyl, enough to kill more than 500,000 people.

Vega-Ontanon is an illegal alien from Mexico, who was living in Georgia at the time of his arrest.

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He was sentenced Monday by U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden to 74 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute 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.

One kilogram of fentanyl can produce half a million fatal doses.

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

Co-defendant Eder Ortega-Cassarubias pleaded guilty and was sentenced on June 26, 2019, by Judge Ozerden, to 127 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release.

Co-defendant Estudillo-Carrazco pleaded guilty on August 28, 2019, and will be sentenced by Judge Ozerden on November 27, 2019. He faces a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $10,000,000 fine.