A 24-year-old Willmar man who spent more than three years dodging justice in Kenya has pleaded guilty to a federal charge tied to the fentanyl overdose death of a 19-year-old Pennock woman. Hudeife Muhamud Mire, also known by the nickname “Juice,” entered his plea, admitting to one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl resulting in death.
Court documents state Mire conspired to distribute fentanyl, according to the Department of Justice. Prosecutors say Mire sold the fentanyl pills that killed Samantha Myers, a 19-year-old woman from Pennock, Minnesota, on April 16, 2022. As KNSI reports, Mire admitted he fled the country specifically to avoid prosecution.
A Fatal Pill and a Rapid Investigation
An autopsy found Myers died from the effects of fentanyl, according to Bring Me The News. Emergency responders found Myers unresponsive at a residence near New London. Investigators moved quickly, and on May 17, 2022, law enforcement searched Mire's Willmar apartment, seizing roughly 180 grams of fentanyl pills — an amount representing approximately 1,600 fake Percocet or oxycodone pills — along with more than $4,000 in cash, the outlet's report states.
Two days later, on May 19, 2022, Kandiyohi County prosecutors charged Mire in state court with third-degree murder, second-degree manslaughter, two counts of first-degree drug sales, and second-degree drug possession. The station's report notes that Minnesota's third-degree murder drug statute carries up to 25 years in prison. Mire was released on conditions on June 1, 2022, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office, but the freedom didn't last.
A One-Way Ticket Out of the Country
Rather than face the charges, Mire booked a one-way ticket after his release and fled to the United States border for Kenya on June 4, 2022, according to DEA.gov. Federal law enforcement tracked his movements overseas for more than three years while he remained a fugitive from the Kandiyohi County charges filed against him.
The manhunt ended on October 29, 2025, when Kenyan police officers arrested Mire in the Ongata Rongai area of Kajiado County, per Tuko.co.ke. Kenyan prosecutors secured a custodial order while extradition papers were finalized, and the Milimani Law Courts in Nairobi subsequently ordered his extradition to the United States. The FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, and Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension all tracked down Mire as part of the effort, with Minnesota BCA Superintendent Drew Evans acknowledging the multi-agency work that led to his capture and prosecution.
Returned to Face Federal Charges
Federal agents returned Mire to the United States on January 6, 2026, according to KNSI's earlier reporting and corroborated by other outlets covering the case. FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Dotson credited cooperation with the Kenyan government for securing Mire's return to face justice.
U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen said the plea marks a step toward justice for Myers and her family. CEE-VI, along with Kandiyohi County and Willmar law enforcement leaders, also acknowledged the multi-agency effort that led to Mire's capture and prosecution. The CEE-VI Drug and Gang Task Force co-led the initial overdose investigation.
What Mire Faces at Sentencing
Under 21 U.S.C. § 841, a federal conviction for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl resulting in death carries a statutory mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in federal prison, according to the Department of Justice. Mire also faces at least four years of supervised release following any prison term. It remains unclear how the pending state charges in Kandiyohi County will be resolved now that the federal case has concluded in a guilty plea.
The case underscores a public health crisis that has gripped Minnesota for years. The case underscores the human cost of fentanyl. For Samantha Myers' family, that statistic carries a name and a face, and the guilty plea closes one chapter of a case that stretched from a small Minnesota apartment to a courthouse in Nairobi and back.
