2 Men Busted With 91,000 Fentanyl Pills Hidden Inside Chip Containers Trafficked From Mexico To Washington

Two men from Whatcom county were indicted on Thursday on charges of smuggling 91,000 fentanyl pills into west Washington. Juan E. Hernandez-Hernandez and Alejandro Macias-Velazquez faced the grand jury in the Western District of Washington, both on one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance as well as one count of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute and sell narcotics. Federal court documents stated that Homeland Security investigations had received information that a transnational criminal organization was behind the massive distribution of fentanyl pills coming from Mexico into Washington.

According to Fox News, the tip pinned down Hernandez as the person bringing in the huge stash of fentanyl pills set to be delivered in Bellingham. The informant reportedly had several phone conversations with the Washington-based contact, later identified as Hernandez. A deal was struck where Hernandez would deliver 50,000 pills for the agreed price of $125,000. However, the price was renegotiated to $185,000 for 91,000 pills.

The initial meet-up took place at a coffee shop on July 7 where Hernandez met with the informant and the undercover agent, but they decided to do the exchange at the parking lot of a Bellingham hotel. Hernandez, together with the informant waited inside a parked vehicle as another vehicle driven by Velazquez arrived and parked right beside their car. Velazquez then grabbed a duffle bag and got out to stuff it in the trunk of the informant’s car. At this point, authorities swooped down on both Hernandez and Velazques and arrested them.

Narco agents found cardboard boxes and potato chip containers stuffed with plastic Ziploc bags that were filled with small blue pills which weighed almost 10 kilograms. The pills all tested positive for fentanyl. Both Velasquez and Hernandez are currently detained in a federal detention center pending their trial. A statement from Special Agent in Charge, Robert Hammer, he pointed out the dangers of fentanyl and how the number of deaths attributed to the overdose of fentanyl-laced pills has alarmingly affected the county due to the recent plummet of street prices on fentanyl.