A Honduran national was clapped in the irons and subsequently sentenced to five years by a federal judge after getting nabbed with a small treasure trove of illegal drugs, including a hefty load of fentanyl. Miguel Ramos, 25, pleaded guilty earlier this year to one count of fentanyl possession with the intent to distribute, among other charges, as reported by justice.gov.
The Tenderloin dealer was arrested back in October last year and found in possession of more than seven pounds of the lethal synthetic opioid. The bust included quantities of methamphetamine, cocaine base, cocaine, and heroin, a digital scale, and a substantial sum of cash. “Fentanyl is wreaking havoc in our communities, particularly in the Tenderloin,” said U.S. Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey, in a statement obtained by justice.gov. He stressed the importance of long prison sentences for dealers like Ramos as part of Justice's reach.
According to the DEA, Ramos's stash corresponded to thousands of potential fatal doses of the drug menacing The City by the Bay. Special Agent in Charge Brian M. Clark emphasized the unprecedented danger fentanyl presents and the DEA's commitment to battling this threat in San Francisco, especially in the Tenderloin area. "The staggering amount of this poison seized from Ramos equates to several thousand potential deadly doses," Clark said, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of California.
Besides the five-year term, Chief U.S. District Judge Richard Seeborg saw fit to prescribe Ramos a three-year term of supervised release, due to begin upon the completion of his time behind bars. Ramos, who faced indictment by a federal grand jury on December 13, 2022, was handed over to custody immediately after sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney George Hageman prosecuted the case with aid from Helen Yee, resulting from a months-long investigation by the DEA and the San Francisco Police Department. Officials caution against street-bought pills, which can often be counterfeit and laced with fentanyl, mimicking legitimate drugs like Oxycodone. Even minor variations in the amount or quality of fentanyl can prove deadly, as the drug has become a leading cause of overdose deaths in the U.S.
