An Eveleth man, previously convicted of drug charges, has been slapped with a 10-year prison sentence for running a narcotics operation involving fentanyl and methamphetamine. Juan Pedro Alapisco-Ochoa, aged 52, faced the music for his role in the drug distribution network, as U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger announced on Thursday.

Caught in the web of justice after a series of controlled purchases and shipment interceptions, Alapisco-Ochoa entered into a plea agreement, confessing to his part in the trafficking scheme. According to court documents obtained by the Justice Department, from New Year's Day to early March in 2023, he conspired to peddle the potentially deadly pills with unnamed partners in crime.

The Justice Department's release detailed that, on January 7th, officials seized over a thousand fentanyl pills from Alapisco-Ochoa during an undercover operation. In a single sweep, agents then traced a hefty shipment of meth intercepted by postal inspectors—all 481 grams of it—straight to Alapisco-Ochoa's doorstep on March 7.

During the delivery orchestrated by law enforcement, which was filled with drugs disguised in a stereo speaker, they unearthed an additional drug stash in Alapisco-Ochoa's apartment. Their haul included 11 grams of meth, 170 treacherous blue fentanyl pills, and a variety of equipment used for drug use and distribution. On October 12, Alapisco-Ochoa admitted to his intent to distribute fentanyl, and after months of deliberation, Judge Michael J. Davis handed down the decade-long sentence on April 24, 2024.

The takedown was the result of combined efforts by multiple agencies, including the FBI, the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office, and other federal and local task forces focused on putting a lid on drug-related violence. The case was brought to a close by Assistant U.S. Attorney Allen A. Slaughter, who played a pivotal role in prosecuting Alapisco-Ochoa.