A Missoula resident, Alejandro Romero, has been sentenced to 19 years and seven months in federal prison for distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl. The sentence will be followed by five years of supervised release. U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich announced the sentencing.
Romero, aged 36, pleaded guilty in August 2024 to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided over the case.
U.S. Attorney Laslovich stated, "We won’t make progress against our nation’s drug epidemic unless the biggest drug traffickers are held accountable, which we’ve done today." He emphasized that Romero's lengthy sentence reflects a commitment to combating drug trafficking in Montana.
Court documents revealed that between December 2023 and March 2024, Romero distributed methamphetamine and fentanyl in Missoula. During sentencing, it was noted that he distributed pink fentanyl, a more potent form of the drug. An individual purchased two pounds of meth from Romero and also bought fentanyl pills and heroin from him. This person witnessed Romero possessing thousands of fentanyl pills, powdered fentanyl, ten pounds of meth (equivalent to about 36,240 doses), and over two pounds of heroin in his hotel room.
Another transaction involved an individual receiving approximately 1,000 fentanyl pills in Washington arranged by Romero who had provided $3,000 upfront for the purchase. In an interview, Romero admitted to distributing large quantities of meth and fentanyl shipped from Washington into Montana.
The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office with investigations conducted by the FBI’s Montana Regional Violent Crime Task Force and Missoula Police Department.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program aimed at reducing violent crime through collaboration between law enforcement agencies and communities they serve. The Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy on May 26, 2021, strengthening PSN based on core principles such as fostering community trust and setting strategic enforcement priorities.
For further details on Project Safe Neighborhoods visit Justice.gov/PSN.