A Honduran national who was previously deported from the United States has been sentenced to more than four years in federal prison after playing a key role in a large-scale drug trafficking operation involving fentanyl and methamphetamine in the Seattle area.

Jorge Aguilar Martinez, 30, was handed a 54-month sentence in US District Court after authorities say he helped broker a deal to distribute tens of thousands of deadly fentanyl pills and significant quantities of meth. He was arrested in October 2025.

According to court documents, Aguilar Martinez connected a buyer, who was working with law enforcement, to individuals claiming they could supply large amounts of narcotics. When the deal was finalized, Aguilar Martinez and two co-conspirators were taken into custody with approximately 28 pounds of methamphetamine and 10,000 fentanyl pills. Some of the drugs had been concealed inside cereal boxes.

At sentencing, US District Judge James L. Robart emphasized the deadly consequences of fentanyl, noting how easily a single pill can contain a fatal dose. The judge said Aguilar Martinez was motivated by profit despite the ongoing devastation fentanyl has caused in communities across the country.

Federal prosecutors pushed for a five-year sentence, arguing that the scale of the operation and the type of drugs involved reflected the seriousness of the offense. They described Aguilar Martinez’s actions as showing a “callous disregard” for public safety and a lack of respect for the law, pointing to prior arrests related to drug trafficking behavior.

The case also drew attention to Aguilar Martinez’s immigration history. He had previously been removed from the United States in 2024 but returned shortly afterward. Judge Robart cited his quick reentry as further evidence of disregard for US law.

The two co-conspirators arrested alongside Aguilar Martinez were also in the country illegally. They were released pending trial and later removed from the United States before their cases were resolved.

Aguilar Martinez is expected to be deported again following his prison sentence. If he returns to the United States in the future, he will be subject to four years of supervised release.
 
Federal officials said the case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative aimed at combating illegal immigration, dismantling transnational criminal organizations, and addressing the surge in violent crime and drug trafficking.