Illegal Alien from Honduras Sentenced for Drug Trafficking in Utah

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah - The final defendant, an illegal alien from Honduras who was involved in a drug trafficking crime, was sentenced to time served (16.5 months' imprisonment) after approximately 13,000 fentanyl pills were seized by law enforcement during a controlled buy and the execution of a search warrant in 2025.

The sentence, imposed by U.S. District Chief Judge Jill N. Parrish comes after Jose Enrique Zuniga-Diaz, 20, of Honduras, residing illegally in West Valley, Utah, pleaded guilty on April 16, 2026, to possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute. His co-defendants also pleaded guilty. Diego Armando Campos-Fallas was sentenced in September 2025 to 42 months' imprisonment and 36 months' supervised release. Hugo Eduardo Miraba-Franco was sentenced to 24 months' imprisonment and 36 months' supervised release. In addition to their terms of imprisonment, upon release, all three defendants will be remanded to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for deportation proceedings.

According to court documents and statements made at Zuniga-Diaz's change of plea and sentencing hearings, on March 19, 2025, during the execution of a search warrant in West Valley City, Utah, law enforcement seized approximately 13,000 fentanyl pills that Zuniga-Diaz knew were intended for distribution. See prior press release: Approximately 13,000 Fentanyl Pills Seized During Undercover Operation, Three Foreign Nationals Detained and Charged.

"Fentanyl is deadly, and in this case, our law enforcement partners and my office successfully removed 13,000 pills from our streets," said U.S. Attorney Melissa Holyoak of the District of Utah. "This case reflects the strength of our partnerships and our shared commitment to keeping communities safe by stopping drug traffickers and reducing the flow of dangerous drugs."

The case was investigated jointly by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

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.