A Houston man, Marco Juarez, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for his involvement in a dark web operation that manufactured and distributed pills containing methamphetamine. The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Juarez had previously pleaded guilty on June 16, 2023. U.S. District Judge Gray Miller also ordered five years of supervised release following the prison term.
Three other individuals from Houston involved in the operation—Alexander Fernandez, Christopher Houser, and Alexis Sandoval—had already pleaded guilty and were sentenced earlier. Fernandez, identified as the leader, received a 20-year sentence; Houser was sentenced to 36 months; and Sandoval received a sentence of 120 months.
Judge Miller highlighted the gravity of distributing counterfeit pills labeled as Adderall but containing methamphetamine. "These conspirators manufactured and distributed large quantities of fake Adderall pills that actually contained meth in order to make money at the expense of the health and safety of others," said Hamdani.
Robert Kurtz, acting Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Houston, commented on the broader implications: “Trafficking counterfeit prescription medications laced with deadly and highly addictive narcotics is extremely dangerous.”
The investigation began in 2020 when law enforcement discovered that Fernandez was acquiring equipment commonly used for illegal pill manufacturing. The operation produced pills at locations in Houston Heights and Fulshear.
Fernandez managed logistics while Juarez supplied methamphetamine as an active ingredient. Houser operated pill press machines, and Sandoval handled packaging and mailing for dark web orders.
A search warrant executed at a Fulshear location uncovered significant quantities of methamphetamine both as powder and disguised as Adderall pills. Another site revealed nearly five kilograms of these counterfeit pills ready for distribution.
In addition to fake Adderall pills, the operation also produced Alprazolam pills containing Etizolam—a central nervous system depressant.
Juarez remains on bond until he reports to a designated U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility.
The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations with support from the Drug Enforcement Administration, while Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen M. Lansden prosecuted the case.