Supplier Sentenced for Selling Counterfeit Fentanyl Pills in Phoenix

The investigation into Rodriguez-Escalante began in 2021 when he was identified through social media as a key supplier of counterfeit M30 pills laced with fentanyl. These pills were distributed through the mail by individuals working with Rodriguez-Escalante. In October and November 2021, he sold over 650 grams of blue M30 pills containing fentanyl to agents from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) on two separate occasions.

The sentencing of Rodriguez-Escalante is part of a broader effort by law enforcement to crack down on the distribution of counterfeit pills, which have been linked to a rising number of overdoses and deaths nationwide. The investigation was conducted by the United States Postal Inspection Service, the DEA’s St. Louis Office, Peoria Police Department, and the Mesa Police Department Forensic Laboratory. The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona handled the prosecution.

Rodriguez-Escalante’s case underscores the dangerous and widespread problem of counterfeit pills, often sold as legitimate prescription medications but containing lethal doses of fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that is significantly more potent than heroin. Law enforcement agencies continue to target networks involved in the production and distribution of these counterfeit drugs, which pose a severe risk to public health.

This sentencing is part of ongoing efforts to address the opioid crisis by targeting individuals and networks responsible for distributing dangerous counterfeit drugs in the community. The prosecution and sentencing of individuals like Rodriguez-Escalante send a strong message that law enforcement will continue to pursue and dismantle such networks to protect public safety.