LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Three people are facing drug charges after allegedly trying to sell over 21,000 fentanyl pills in North Las Vegas, according to Drug Enforcement Administration investigators.
Jesus Rivera, Marco Montes, and Maritza Espada each face charges of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, distribution of a controlled substance, and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, court documents said.
Rivera arranged to sell 1,000 fentanyl pills for $2,000 to a person working undercover for detectives on Oct. 18, documents said.
Rivera planned to meet with the person just before 4:30 p.m. in a parking lot of a fast food restaurant in North Las Vegas. They met in Rivera’s truck when Rivera asked to see the money before making a call, documents said.
Shortly after the call, Montes and Espada drove into the parking lot and gave Rivera 1,000 blue pills, which Rivera sold to the person, documents said.
Rivera then arranged to sell another 20,500 fentanyl pills to the person hours later at the same location, documents said.
Around 5:45 p.m., Rivera was seen in a car with Montes and Espada before Rivera showed the person two “large, brick-like packages” in which the person could see “a significant number of blue colored pills” believed to be fentanyl, according to documents.
Detectives then arrested Rivera, Montes, and Espada and seized the pills.
Detectives later found all the pills weighed a total of approximately 2,614 grams.
Booking photos for the three were not available.
