LAS VEGAS – An illegal alien has been arrested and charged in a federal criminal complaint alleging he possessed with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine after law enforcement officers discovered approximately 14 kilograms (30 pounds) of suspected fentanyl and more than 307 kilograms (677 pounds) of suspected methamphetamine during a traffic stop in Lincoln County, Nevada.
“Anyone who plans to release a deadly drug like fentanyl onto American streets will be prosecuted,” said Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Thanks to the diligent work of federal and local law enforcement, the lethal drugs allegedly possessed by this illegal alien are no longer endangering the lives of countless Americans. The Department of Justice will continue rooting out illegal drug trafficking networks and keeping American neighborhoods safe.”
“Under the leadership of President Trump, DHS and HSI are laser-focused on hunting down fentanyl traffickers and smugglers to get this poison off our streets,” said Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin. “I commend the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office for their work with HSI to remove a lethal amount of fentanyl and methamphetamine from American communities. We will continue to work with our Homeland Security Task Force partners to disrupt criminal networks and prosecute these drug traffickers to the fullest extent of the law.”
“The massive scale of this seizure underscores the staggering volume of illicit narcotics flowing into our communities from transnational criminal organizations,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada. “ Fourteen kilograms of fentanyl alone represents approximately seven million potentially lethal two-milligram doses—enough to kill more than twice the population of Nevada—and, when combined with over 650 pounds of methamphetamine, represents an estimated street value of approximately $2 million. These staggering quantities reflect a blatant disregard for human life, driven purely by profit. I commend the outstanding work of our federal partners at Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office. Our office will continue working tirelessly to dismantle these dangerous criminal networks, secure our borders, and ensure that those who traffic these deadly substances face the maximum penalties allowed under the law.”
“HSI is committed to disrupting the criminal networks responsible for moving deadly narcotics into and through our communities,” said John A. Condon, Executive Associate Director of Homeland Security Investigations. “The suspected fentanyl and methamphetamine seized in this case represent an extraordinary threat to public safety. Through close coordination with the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and our Homeland Security Task Force partners, HSI will continue to identify, investigate and hold accountable those who profit from poisoning Americans and endangering our communities.”
“The allegations in this case underscore the serious threat illicit narcotics pose to rural communities and the traveling public,” Lincoln County Sheriff Derek Foremaster said. “I am proud of the vigilance and professionalism demonstrated by our deputies, whose proactive traffic enforcement and trained K-9 deployment led to the identification of suspected narcotics and a coordinated response with Homeland Security Investigations. We greatly value our partnership with HSI and the Homeland Security Task Force. That collaboration strengthens our ability to protect Lincoln County, disrupt drug trafficking and support thorough, criminal investigations.”
According to allegations in the criminal complaint, on October 13, 2026, a deputy with the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office conducted a traffic stop of a pickup truck driven by Francisco Joel Garcia Farias, 26, on U.S. Highway 93 near Ash Springs, Nevada, after observing the vehicle traveling above the posted speed limit. During the stop, a trained narcotics detection K-9 alerted to the presence of suspected controlled substances in the vehicle.
A subsequent search of the pickup truck revealed 13 large storage totes containing numerous vacuum-sealed packages of suspected narcotics. Law enforcement officers recovered approximately 187 packages containing a white crystalline substance weighing a total of approximately 307.22 kilograms, along with 13 brick-shaped packages weighing approximately 14 kilograms. Field testing of selected samples returned positive results for methamphetamine and fentanyl, respectively.
File photo and photos of totes of methamphetamine and fentanyl powder, U.S. v. Francisco Joel Garcia Farias, Case 2:26-mj-00773-MDC
Garcia Farias is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of a mixture containing fentanyl and one count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture containing methamphetamine.
If convicted, Garcia Farias faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment on each count, followed by five years of supervised release.
This case is led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in partnership with the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office as part of the Homeland Security Task Force Core Region 8. Assistant United States Attorney Steven J. Rose is prosecuting the case.
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 U.S. 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.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Source: U.S. Attorney’s Office — Nevada — U.S. Department of Justice press release.