Two sentenced in drug trafficking case

SPOKANE – Two men have been sentenced for trafficking Fentanyl-laced pills across Eastern Washington.

Josue Medina-Perez, 24, and Francisco Delgado, 35, both of Phoenix, Ariz., were sentenced in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington during hearings March 17.

Senior U.S. District Court Judge Edward Shea sentenced Medina-Perez to 96 months in prison, followed by 5 years of probation and Delgado to 10 years in prison followed by four years of probation.

Both confessed to the bringing the drugs into the state and each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to district 400 grams or more of Fentanyl.

Both men were connected to the Sinaloa, Mexico, drug cartel, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington Joseph H. Harrington said. They are responsibile for transporting and distributing between 5,000-10,000 pills weekly between 2017and their arrests.

“The United States Attorney’s Office f or the Eastern District of Washington will aggressively prosecute cases involving Fentanyl distribution, and the sentence imposed in this case demonstrates that Fentanyl dealers will be held accountable," Harrington said.

Law enforcement officers along the U.S. Highway 395/Interstate 90 corridor from the Tri-Cities to Spokane were involved in the investigation. And the case was prosecuted by Asst. U.S. Attorney Stephanie Van Marter.