United States Drug Enforcement Administration

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A district judge sentenced a California man to 19 years in federal prison after he admitted to trafficking fentanyl to the Metro East.

Nefer Ojeda-Elenes, 33, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance: fentanyl and one count of distribution of a controlled substance: fentanyl.

“Nefer Ojeda-Elenes attempted to introduce more than half-a-million lethal doses of fentanyl into our Southern Illinois communities in just a short, three-month span,” DEA St. Louis Division Special Agent in Charge Michael Davis said. “That number is astonishing when you think of how many families would be impacted and missing a loved one at the dinner table each night. The lethality of fentanyl can’t be understated. A mere two milligrams is enough to take a life. The DEA and our law enforcement partners remain vigilant in our efforts to stop this poison from taking the lives of those we love.”

According to court documents, Ojeda-Elenes worked within a conspiracy to deliver two kilograms of fentanyl to the Metro East in April 2020. In May 2020, he agreed to deliver five more kilograms of fentanyl, but law enforcement intercepted the drugs prior to their arrival in Illinois.  

“Fentanyl is a ruthless killer—devastating families, shattering communities and leaving a trail of grief in its wake,” said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft. “This defendant conspired to bring seven kilograms of fentanyl into the Metro East region, when as few as two milligrams is lethal to most adults. With this 19-year sentence, the system has delivered certain justice to a drug dealer who prioritized money over the value of human lives.”

Co-conspirator Mariano A. Perez, 39, of California, is also facing one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance: fentanyl and one count of distribution of a controlled substance: fentanyl. He is scheduled to appear in court on March 20.

An indictment is merely a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.

DEA St. Louis is leading the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Carraway is prosecuting the case.

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