Jose Elias Camacho, a 34-year-old resident of Maui, has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for trafficking fake oxycodone pills containing fentanyl. This sentence was delivered by U.S. District Judge Susan Oki Mollway after Camacho pleaded guilty to possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute in June 2024.
In August 2020, Camacho sold five fake oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl to a 24-year-old man who subsequently overdosed. Although first responders revived the victim and he was taken to the hospital, he discharged himself and later contacted Camacho again for more pills. Despite knowing about the victim's recent hospitalization, Camacho sold him an additional five pills. The following morning, the victim was found dead from a polydrug overdose at his home. A medical toxicologist concluded that without the fentanyl provided by Camacho, the victim would not have overdosed and died.
Camacho continued distributing these pills even after learning about the fatality. On October 2, 2020, undercover officers from the Maui Police Department arranged a purchase of approximately 50 pills from Camacho. He was arrested while leaving his house for this transaction. A search revealed around 400 light blue pills marked "M 30," which were intended to resemble prescription oxycodone but contained fentanyl.
The Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) National Drug Threat Assessment identifies fentanyl manufactured by Mexican drug cartels as a significant factor in drug poisoning deaths across the United States. In 2022 alone, synthetic opioids other than methadone accounted for over two-thirds of national overdose deaths involving illicitly manufactured fentanyl.
United States Attorney Clare E. Connors commented on the case: “Camacho knew the deadly risk of selling illegal narcotics, and in particular, he knew the heightened risk associated with the tragic death in this case." She emphasized that despite knowing about this death, "Camacho continued to sell a large quantity of lethal pills."
The investigation into this case was carried out by both the DEA and Maui Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mohammad Khatib and Michael Albanese led the prosecution.