United States Drug Enforcement Administration

Pensacola, Fla. – Alejandro Palomino-Amador, a/k/a “Ichi”, 33, of Escondido, Calif., was sentenced to 17.5 years in federal prison after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and 500 grams or more of a mixture containing methamphetamine. 

“Getting this transnational drug trafficker off the streets will make our North Florida communities safer as well as communities around the country,” said Special Agent in Charge Daniel Escobar, Tampa Field Division. “This multi-year investigation was successful because of our agents and great law enforcement partners. I can’t thank them enough.” 

The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Dismantling this large-scale drug trafficking operation and sending its participants to federal prison for decades-long sentences vindicates the untold devastation they inflicted upon our communities by flooding our streets with deadly poison. I deeply appreciate the outstanding investigative work that went into these cases from our state and federal law enforcement partners and reaffirm my office’s commitment to aggressively prosecuting anyone who peddles meth, fentanyl, and other deadly narcotics in the Northern District of Florida.”

Palomino was the last defendant sentenced in a drug conspiracy case that spanned several years and resulted in the conviction of 15 defendants. Palomino was a large-volume drug dealer in southern California, and he was the supplier for co-defendant Phillip Martin, who distributed methamphetamine and fentanyl to co-conspirator Ohagee Curry in Pensacola, Florida. On August 17, 2022, law enforcement officers stopped Martin on I-15 in southern California immediately after surveilling a drug deal between Palomino and Martin. Officers recovered 77 pounds of methamphetamine from Martin’s vehicle. Later that day, law enforcement searched a storage unit belonging to Palomino and found another 80 pounds of methamphetamine and over 4,000 grams of fentanyl. Martin, who had a significant criminal history, received a 40-year sentence in 2024. Curry received a 10-year sentence in 2025.  Palomino was arrested late last year crossing the border between Mexico and the United States.

“This sentence sends a clear message that drug traffickers who bring methamphetamine and fentanyl into our communities will be held accountable,” said Sheriff Bob Johnson. “The volume of narcotics involved in this conspiracy had the potential to cause tremendous harm throughout Northwest Florida. I commend the outstanding work of our deputies and our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners whose dedication and collaboration helped dismantle this trafficking network. Together, we remain committed to protecting our citizens and keeping these deadly drugs off our streets.”

Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons said: “We applaud the U.S. Attorney’s Office for securing this important sentencing. Our strong partnership is delivering real results—removing dangerous criminals from our streets and making Escambia County safer for all families.”

The conviction and sentence were the result of a joint investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Escondido (California) Police Department, and the Riverside County (California) Sheriff’s Office with assistance from the United States Postal Inspection Service. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Walter Narramore.

This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF comprises agents and officers from multiple agencies with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida.