Two Honduran Men Each Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Selling Fentanyl
OAKLAND, Calif.– Mario Sevilla Artiaga and Danexi Mendoza Licona were each sentenced to seven years in federal prison on Friday, October 23, for conspiring to and selling fentanyl. U.S. District Judge Jon S. Tigar handed down the sentence.
Mario Sevilla Artiaga, 23, and Danexi Mendoza Licona, 22, both nationals of Honduras, were indicted by a federal grand jury on February 26, 2026, for conspiring to and possessing with intent to distribute more than 400 grams of a substance containing fentanyl. Sevilla pleaded guilty on June 12, 2026, to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute at least 40 grams of fentanyl, and Mendoza pleaded guilty on July 8, 2026, to possess with the intent to distribute at least 40 grams of fentanyl. According to the plea agreement, the co-defendants collectively had more than 500 grams of fentanyl at their residence, as well as more than 90 grams of methamphetamine, 2.8 grams of heroin, three firearms, and electronic scales and other indicia of selling drugs.
United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian and Bob P. Beris, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), made the announcement.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Tigar also sentenced each of the defendants to a four-year period of supervised release and ordered each to pay a $100 special assessment. The defendants remain in custody.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly I. Volkar is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Jessie Chelsea and Amala James. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the DEA, Oakland Police Department, and Alameda County Narcotics Task Force.