Man who entered Columbus illegally sentenced to prison in fentanyl conspiracy

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- A 26-year-old man living in Columbus who illegally entered the United States from Mexico has been sentenced to prison for his role in selling fentanyl.

Luis Martinez-Torres received a 10-year prison sentence for conspiring to distribute kilogram quantities of fentanyl from Mexico to buyers in central Ohio, according to the U.S. Court of the Southern District of Ohio.

According to court records, Martinez-Torres illegally entered the U.S. and would deliver fentanyl to buyers selling the narcotics for a cartel in Mexico. In April 2023, court documents said he had nearly three kilograms of fentanyl including more than 6,200 pills marked as Oxycodone.

Martinez-Torres has illegally entered the United States on three occasions and faces deportation following his prison sentence. This is also the second time he has been arrested; Martinez-Torres was arrested last June for conspiring to possess and intent to distribute fentanyl. He pleaded guilty to that charge in January.