TUCSON, Arizona — On April 24, 2025, Adrian Lopez-Aparicio, a 40-year-old Mexican national, was sentenced to 41 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Scott H. Rash for his role in distributing fentanyl, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona announced on April 28. Lopez-Aparicio had previously pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, a drug that has fueled a deadly opioid crisis across Arizona, with Pima County alone reporting 458 overdose deaths in 2022, 61% of which involved fentanyl.
Lopez-Aparicio was apprehended on October 3, 2024, in Tucson, in possession of 20,000 fentanyl pills intended for distribution. Three weeks later, on October 24, a federal grand jury indicted him on three counts: possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, and illegal reentry of a removed alien. His guilty plea to the possession charge reflects a broader crackdown on fentanyl trafficking in Arizona, a key transit hub for narcotics due to its proximity to the U.S.-Mexico border. The Drug Enforcement Administration, which led the investigation, has been instrumental in similar cases, such as the 2022 seizure of 53,000 fentanyl pills near Speedway Boulevard. However, the scale of Lopez-Aparicio’s operation—20,000 pills—raises concerns about the effectiveness of border interdiction efforts, as 2.7 million fentanyl pills were seized at Arizona ports in fiscal year 2025, yet trafficking persists, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection data.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly Cavanaugh prosecuted the case, identified as CR-24-07590-TUC-SHR, with the release number 2025-064_Lopez-Aparicio. The public is encouraged to report any drug-related activity to local authorities or the DEA at 602-664-5600 to assist in ongoing efforts to combat the opioid epidemic.
The sentencing underscores Tucson’s ongoing battle against fentanyl. Let’s remain vigilant and support law enforcement in their mission to protect our communities from this deadly drug.
Published by State Gleam
Keywords: Adrian Lopez-Aparicio, Fentanyl Distribution, Tucson Sentencing, U.S. Attorney Arizona, DEA Investigation, April 2025
