Three men from Hollywood, Florida, have been sentenced to federal prison for their roles in a drug trafficking conspiracy involving the nationwide distribution of counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl, methamphetamine, and nitazenes.
Josue David Balaguer, 35, and Marcos Geovanny Beltre Olivo, 39, were each sentenced to 141 months in prison, while Joel Medina, 36, received a 48-month sentence. All three pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute fentanyl and N-Pyrrolidino Protonitazene, a potent synthetic opioid.
According to court documents, beginning in early 2024, the defendants operated a distribution network that used the mail to ship counterfeit pharmaceutical pills across the United States. The pills were sold on both the open web and dark web, falsely marketed as legitimate medications but containing powerful and illegal substances.
On September 11, 2024, law enforcement agents executed a search warrant at a residence connected to the operation, seizing hundreds of thousands of pressed pills, along with a pill press, packaging machine, and shipping supplies.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel E. Funk and investigated by a multi-agency team including the FBI, DEA, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS OIG), FDA Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA-OCI), and the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.
U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne praised the coordinated efforts of law enforcement, stating the outcome reflects “a strong commitment to protecting the public from the dangers of counterfeit pills and synthetic opioids.”
