United States Drug Enforcement Administration

ALPINE – A Midland man was sentenced today to a total of 200 months in prison for possessing fentanyl and illegally possessing a firearm. According to court documents, Edgar Parra, 36, sold a total of 112.3 grams of fentanyl to undercover DEA operatives on three separate occasions between August and October 2021. On November 11, 2021, the Midland Police Department executed a search warrant on Parra’s hotel room where they found a loaded handgun along with 3.7 grams of methamphetamine.

On March 23, 2022, Parra pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and one count of possessing a firearm during and in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Parra has remained in federal custody since he was arrested on federal indictment charges on January 21, 2022.

“Illicit fentanyl is killing Americans across our nation, including in West Texas communities,” said Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Greg Millard, El Paso Division. “This case shows that DEA and its law enforcement partners will ensure that criminals who deal in this deadly substance are held responsible for the harm they cause.”

“Prosecuting crimes involving deadly fentanyl is a priority for our office,” said U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff. “We are thankful for the collaborative efforts of our law enforcement partners that have taken another fentanyl dealer off the streets such that he is no longer peddling this poison.”

DEA, with assistance from the Midland Police Department, investigated the case.

For more information on the dangers of fentanyl and DEA’s One Pill Can Kill campaign, please visit https://www.dea.gov/onepill.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Ellis prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

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