United States Drug Enforcement Administration

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A Providence man who trafficked fentanyl on behalf of a Mexican drug supplier was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Rhode Island, announced United States Attorney Charles C. Calenda.

Willys Enrique Santana Ramirez aka Juan Adorno, 48, was sentenced on April 15, 2026 by U.S. District Court Judge Mary S. McElroy to 84 months of imprisonment to be followed by four years of supervised release.

“Fentanyl continues to devastate our communities, leaving a trail of addiction, loss, and shattered families in its wake,” said United States Attorney Calenda. “Those who traffic this deadly substance are not just breaking the law, they are fueling a crisis that is claiming lives at an alarming rate. Our office remains committed to relentlessly pursuing and prosecuting those who profit from this destruction.”

On February 14, 2025, Santana Ramirez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.

According to court documents, an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) determined that Santana Ramirez participated in a drug trafficking conspiracy with his brother-in-law, distributing both fentanyl powder and pills containing fentanyl which were designed to resemble a legitimate prescription medication, oxycodone.  As part of the investigation, Santana Ramirez arranged the delivery of approximately 900 pills in exchange for $45,000.

Santana Ramirez’s co-conspirator, Watly Federico Valenzuela Ruiz, was sentenced on April 10, 2024, to five years in federal prison. Both were arrested on September 7, 2021, by DEA Drug Task Force Agents.  The investigation resulted in the seizure of 8,964 fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills with a net weight of 1,012.9 grams of fentanyl; 4.475 grams of fentanyl powder; and 892.3 grams of fentanyl.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey A. Erickson.

The Rhode Island DEA Drug Task Force is comprised of personnel from the DEA; Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation; Rhode Island State Police; Cranston Police Department; Middletown Police Department; Newport Police Department; Pawtucket Police Department; Providence Police Department; Warwick Police Department; Woonsocket Police Department; and Amtrak Police.