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Detroit fentanyl dealer Ricardo Delgado gets 60 years in prison

Online Niel November 14, 2024

A notorious Detroit drug dealer who smuggled cocaine and fentanyl into the U.S. from Mexico will go to prison for 60 years after a jury previously found him guilty of running a massive drug-trafficking operation in the Saginaw area.

After the FBI arrested him, they found two kilograms of fentanyl in his home, or 1 million potentially lethal doses.

Ricardo Delgado II, 51, was sentenced Wednesday by U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Ludington, who oversaw his weeklong trial that ended in June with a jury convicting him of multiple drug-related offenses and weapons. According to prosecutors, Delgado was heavily armed.

After his arrest, the FBI seized two machine guns, 10 additional guns and two silencers from the home, along with $200,000 in cash, 13 kilograms of cocaine, and two kilograms of fentanyl.

Fentanyl is a dangerous and powerful man-made opioid that is 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine.

In Delgado’s case, the FBI learned during its investigation that he was very protective of his drug stash, and if someone stole it, there was a price to pay. For example, according to court records, wiretapping evidence showed that when Delgado once learned that someone had stolen cocaine from one of his subordinates, he ordered that subordinate to retaliate.

According to wiretapping evidence disclosed in court filings:

“(The subordinate) explained to Delgado that he had just been robbed while trying to sell a kilogram of what agents later learned was cocaine. In response, Delgado stated that he should immediately return to the house to shoot her.”

Delgado discussed this plan with another associate and instructed the underling in phone calls on what to do when he arrived at the scene of the drug robbery: “The young man” was told to trash the house, retrieve the stolen cocaine, and ” to give to Delgado”. one of the individuals who robbed him”.

However, unbeknownst to the drug dealers, the FBI was monitoring these calls and foiled the mission to shoot up the house. That same night, officers arrested Delgado and four other associates.

“This defendant endangered countless people by trafficking large amounts of deadly fentanyl and cocaine. He also sought to use violence to protect his illicit drug trade,” U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison said in announcing her sentence, which she said “should serve as a stark warning” to other drug traffickers. drugs that the federal government will “go after them with zeal.” who seek to bring illegal drugs and violence into our community.”

Detroit FBI Director Chyvoryea Gibson added, “Today’s sentencing of Ricardo Delgado, a notorious drug trafficker, marks a critical milestone in our continued efforts to combat the fentanyl crisis and protect the public from its devastating effects.”

Contact Tresa Baldas: [email protected]