A Mercedes man is facing federal drug charges after an undercover sting resulted in the discovery of nearly 10 pounds of fentanyl and more than 34 pounds of heroin in his wife’s vehicle and at his home.
Drug Enforcement Administration agents arrested Jose De Jesus Sanchez-Montiel, born in 1993, on Thursday and charged him with knowingly possessing with the intent to distribute 9.9 pounds of fentanyl and 34.6 pounds of heroin.
The complaint against Sanchez was filed under seal on Oct. 7 and was unsealed Thursday after the DEA arrested Sanchez in Hidalgo.
It’s not immediately clear why Sanchez, who was in police custody on July 12, wasn’t arrested until Thursday, but court records also indicate that there was a sealed order and event on Oct. 7 that remains sealed.
The investigation began in June and July when an undercover DEA agent began telephonic negotiations with Sanchez over the sale of fentanyl in the Rio Grande Valley, according to the criminal complaint.
Sanchez and the undercover agent ultimately agreed to the sale of 22 pounds of fentanyl for $170,000, according to the complaint, which said Sanchez also agreed to provide the undercover agent a sample prior to the purchase.
On July 12, at around 10:20 a.m., Sanchez met with the undercover agent in Mercedes and provided three Ziploc bags containing fentanyl, according to the DEA.
After the exchange, DEA agents followed Sanchez back to his Mercedes residence and watched as Sanchez left his residence at around 12:47 p.m. and drove off in a red truck.
The complaint said that the undercover agent had instructed Sanchez to bring the fentanyl to Harlingen.
“When Sanchez got onto the expressway, two DPS marked units pulled up behind Sanchez,” the complaint stated. “Sanchez immediately exited the expressway and parked in the parking lot of a business.”
Shortly after, Sanchez called the undercover agent and said “there was heat on him” and that he wanted to meet somewhere else so they agreed to meet at a nearby H-E-B, according to the complaint.
At 1:28 p.m., agents saw a Chevrolet Equinox previously parked at Sanchez’s residence pull up and park next to Sanchez.
DEA agents watched as Sanchez moved objects from the red truck to the Chevrolet Equinox.
When that vehicle left the parking lot, a marked DPS unit conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle, which was being driven by Sanchez’s wife, who is not named in the complaint.
The DEA said in the complaint that she gave consent to search the vehicle where authorities found six bundles of heroin weighing 21 pounds.
Shortly after, a traffic stop was conducted on Sanchez, who was taken back to his residence. The complaint does not say what agency conducted this traffic stop.
According to the complaint, Sanchez admitted there was more drugs in his residence and gave agents consent to search, which is where the DEA said it found five more bundles of heroin weighing around 6 pounds and then nearly 10 pounds of fentanyl found in a vehicle battery in the garage.
During an interview, Sanchez admitted he was on his way to deliver drugs but said he got scared when he saw police and called his wife, according to the complaint.
When asked what drugs he had, Sanchez said either cocaine or methamphetamine.
“Shortly after the interview was terminated,” the complaint stated.
Sanchez made a first appearance Friday in McAllen federal court in front of U.S. Magistrate Judge Nadia S. Medrano, who ordered him temporarily held without bond pending further court proceedings.
