TUCSON, Ariz. – Last week, Sigfrido Adolfo Rivero, 56, of Nogales, Arizona, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Scott H. Rash to 121 months in federal prison, followed by 120 months of supervised release. Rivero previously pleaded guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl.
On May 19, 2021, Rivero was arrested as he attempted to pass through the Interstate 19 immigration checkpoint near Amado, Arizona, after it was discovered that he had approximately 190,000 pills (19.24 kilograms) of fentanyl hidden in his vehicle. In a previous case, Rivero was sentenced to 10 years in state prison for trafficking bulk quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine. Rivero served most of that sentence before being released, and was on parole for about five months when he committed this new drug trafficking crime.
“The United States Attorney’s Office in the District of Arizona is committed to combatting the fentanyl epidemic plaguing this country and will advocate vigorously for appropriately strict punishment for those involved in the distribution of this dangerous drug,” said U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino.
Members of the Counter Narcotics Alliance, including the Drug Enforcement Administration and Customs and Border Protection’s U.S. Border Patrol, conducted the investigation in this case. The Counter Narcotics Alliance is a multi-jurisdictional drug task force operating in the Pima County and Greater Tucson area. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael R. Lizano, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-21-01382-SHR(LCK)
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-089_Rivero
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