Carlos Rene Montes, a 32-year-old U.S. citizen from Tucson, and Miguel Angel Sesma, a 30-year-old legal permanent resident from Mexico residing in Phoenix, have been charged with conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute fentanyl. This follows the seizure of approximately 700,000 blue M30 pills from Sesma’s truck and Montes’ residence.
The criminal complaint states that on March 10, 2025, investigators from the DEA Phoenix East Valley Drug Enforcement Task Force (EVDETF) observed Montes driving a Jeep Grand Cherokee into a store parking lot in Phoenix. He parked next to a white Ford F250 with Sonora license plates. After a brief conversation with Sesma, who was driving the Ford F250, Montes transferred factory-sealed packages of roofing shingles to the truck's bed.
After leaving the parking lot, EVDETF investigators conducted traffic stops on both vehicles. A Mesa Police Department Canine Detective performed an open-air sniff around the Ford F250 and detected narcotics near its truck bed. Upon searching Sesma’s vehicle, investigators found approximately 52 kilograms (114 pounds) of blue M30 pills laced with fentanyl hidden within the roofing shingles. Both Sesma and Montes were arrested.
Montes informed investigators that he had additional drugs at his Tucson residence. During a consensual search of his home, authorities seized about 14.68 kilograms (32 pounds) of blue M30 pills containing fentanyl.
The charge of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl carries a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years to life imprisonment and fines up to $10 million.
A criminal complaint is merely an accusation; it does not imply guilt. An individual remains innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt by evidence presented in court.
The investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration East Valley Drug Enforcement Task Force in collaboration with partners including the Mesa Police Department, Gilbert Police Department, Apache Junction Police Department, Salt River Police Department, and Pinal County Sheriff's Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stuart Zander from the District of Arizona in Phoenix is prosecuting this case.