Undocumented Mexican National Sentenced for Drug and Immigration Crimes in the District of Utah

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah - Kevin Enrique Sanchez-Carrillo, 25, a native and citizen of Mexico, who had been living in Draper, Utah, was sentenced to 60 months' imprisonment by Senior U.S. District court Judge Dale A. Kimball.

In addition to Sanchez-Carrillo's term of imprisonment, upon his release, he will be remanded to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement for deportation proceedings. The court also ordered the forfeiture of $7,750 in U.S. currency; a Smith and Wesson 9mm handgun; and associated ammunition.

According to court documents and admissions made at Sanchez-Carrillo's change of plea and sentencing hearings, an investigation into the defendant began in March 2025 when a confidential informant purchased methamphetamine from Sanchez-Carrillo. On April 3, 2025, law enforcement executed search warrants on Sanchez-Carrillo's apartment and his vehicle. During the search of his apartment, law enforcement recovered, 1,249 grams of fentanyl, 571 grams of heroin, 11,099 grams of methamphetamine, and 15 grams of cocaine, along with a Smith and Wesson 9mm handgun, and $7,750 in United States currency. Sanchez-Carrillo admitted that he knowingly possessed and intended to distribute the narcotics for profit and that he knew he was restricted from possessing the firearm, which affected interstate commerce because he was in the United States illegally.

Additionally, court documents reveal that Sanchez-Carrillo admitted that he entered the United States on or after December 14, 2023, and eluded examination and inspection by immigration officers until his apprehension on April 3, 2025. Sanchez-Carrillo also admitted that after being in the United States illegally for 30 days or longer, he deliberately failed to apply for registration. Court documents reveal that Sanchez-Carrillo had not applied for registration at the time he was found by immigration officers in Salt Lake County, Utah, and remains unregistered.

"Pumping poison in the form of illegal narcotics into our communities will not be taken lightly, said Acting U.S. Attorney Felice John Viti of the District of Utah. "Sanchez-Carrillo's sentence sends a clear message to the defendant and others willing to break federal laws, that if you choose to engage in drug trafficking, illegally possess a firearm in the United States or unlawfully enter the United States you will face serious criminal consequences."

"Individuals like Sanchez-Carrillo seek to profit while our communities are left to bear the cost of addiction, violence, and death," said Acting Special Agent in Charge Robert Bohls of the Salt Lake City FBI. "The FBI will relentlessly pursue and investigate drug traffickers who threaten public safety."

"The sentencing of Sanchez-Carrillo sends a clear message to anyone involved in bringing drugs into our community: you will be caught, prosecuted, and held accountable," said Lester R. Hayes, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, Las Vegas. "We're proud of the hard work and strong teamwork of our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney's Office, who are committed to bringing criminals like Sanchez-Carrillo to justice."

The case was investigated by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office and Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO).

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).