El Paso man pleads guilty to attempting to sell 60,000 fentanyl pills to officer
An El Paso man pleaded guilty to sending at least 60,000 fentanyl pills to an undercover agent in San Antonio in 2021, officials said.
Albert Medina Jr., who also went by “Tots,” pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl during a federal court hearing in San Antonio, U.S. Attorney's Office for Western District of Texas officials said.
More: Teens, guns and mental health: Juvenile crime in El Paso getting more violent
Medina, 37, used a courier, Francisco Javier Ortiz, in 2021 to provide the drugs to an uncover officer in San Antonio, records state.
He sent at least 60,000 fentanyl pills, or about 7 kilograms, during the transaction between the undercover agent and Ortiz, officials said.
According to a federal complaint affidavit filed in Ortiz's case, a person identified only as "FNU LNU" agreed to sell 60,000 pills to the undercover officer as his people had multiple kilograms of fentanyl in pill form already in the San Antonio area that were ready to be delivered.
"FNU LNU" in court documents means "First Name Unknown, Last Name Unknown." Ortiz and Medina are the only two people charged in connection with the case, according to court records. U.S. Attorney's Office for Western District of Texas officials identified Medina as the seller.
The undercover officer agreed to pay $10,000 to the person delivering the fentanyl.
The officer met with Ortiz on Aug. 4, 2021, at a Best Western Plus motel to exchange the money and drugs, documents state.
Ortiz, who was standing next to a white Nissan Altima, then waved down the officer.
More: Fentanyl overdose deaths, epidemic continues to grow in El Paso, border communities
He then told the officer that the “stuff” was hidden in the driver’s side rear seat area of the Nissan, the affidavit states.
The officer attempted to locate the packages within the rear seat. He then received and answered a phone call and began to walk away from the car.
Drug Enforcement Administration High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area task force agents, who were conducting surveillance of the drug deal in the motel's parking lot, then arrested Ortiz, the affidavit states.
Ortiz pleaded guilty Dec. 14 to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, court records show.
Medina is scheduled to be sentenced July 26, while a sentencing date for Ortiz is set for June 21.
They face between 10 years to life in prison and a $10 million fine, officials said.
Aaron Martinez may be reached at amartinez1@elpasotimes.com or on Twitter @AMartinezEPT.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: El Paso man pleads guilty to attempting to sell fentanyl to officer
