Heriberto Martinez Contreras, a 24-year-old Mexican national, was sentenced to 228 months in prison and five years of supervised release after pleading guilty to possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The sentencing took place before United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady in Fort Wayne, according to an announcement by Acting United States Attorney M. Scott Proctor.
Court documents indicate that Martinez Contreras is unlawfully present in the United States. He organized and led an operation from Indianapolis to Fort Wayne with the aim of delivering ten pounds of methamphetamine for an expected payment of $18,000. Law enforcement officers intercepted the delivery during a traffic stop in Fort Wayne, seizing the drugs along with an AK-style rifle, four high-capacity magazines, and ammunition. Laboratory tests confirmed the methamphetamine was about 97% pure and weighed over 4.3 kilograms.
“Heriberto Martinez Contreras wanted to sell ten pounds of near-pure poison to those who would distribute it across our communities,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Proctor. “And he was willing to take dangerous measures to protect that transaction, as he demonstrated when he armed himself with a style of high-powered rifle best known for its reliability in combat. Thankfully, the excellent work of our law enforcement team ended Martinez Contrera’s attempt to extract a profit from the suffering that drugs like methamphetamine inflict on Americans. This case should leave no doubt in the minds of foreign criminals: if you come to northern Indiana to ply your trade, you will be discovered, you will be prosecuted, you will pay for your crimes with many years of your life, and you will then be deported.”
FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Timothy O’Malley commented on the case: “Today’s guilty plea makes clear that the FBI will not tolerate drug traffickers who combine deadly narcotics with firepower. Heriberto Martinez Contreras, an illegal alien, sought to deliver ten pounds of methamphetamine of near total purity while armed with an AK-style rifle and multiple magazines of ammunition. His actions represent not only a severe threat to public safety, but also highlight the dangers posed to our country when individuals who are in the United States illegally engage in violent criminal activity. The FBI remains resolute in its mission to protect our communities and safeguard our nation by dismantling trafficking operations and ensuring that violent offenders face justice.”
The investigation involved several agencies including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Fort Wayne Police Department, Indiana State Police, Allen County Sheriff’s Department, Drug Enforcement Administration North Central Laboratory, and Indiana State Police Regional Laboratory. Assistant United States Attorney Teresa L. Ashcraft prosecuted the case.
This prosecution was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation focused on identifying and disrupting top-level drug traffickers and transnational criminal organizations using multi-agency cooperation between federal, state, and local authorities. The effort also supported initiatives like Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) and Operation Take Back America aimed at combating transnational crime involving illegal drugs.
Additionally, this case contributed to Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program designed to reduce violent crime and gun violence through collaboration among law enforcement agencies and community partners.
