UNION CITY, NJ – A Union County man has admitted to having large quantities of fentanyl shipped to New Jersey from Mexico after U.S. Customs and Border officials intercepted one of his packages.
U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today that a Hudson County, New Jersey, man admitted conspiring to possess fentanyl with the intent to distribute.
Earlier this year, Miguel Polanco, 31, of Union City, New Jersey, was found guilty of conspiracy to distribute and possess 40 grams or more of a substance containing detectable amounts of fentanyl before U.S. District Court Judge Madeline Cox Arleo.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
A package being shipped to Polanco from Mexico City, Mexico, was intercepted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents in May 2021. An examination of the package revealed the package contained a substance which tested positive for the presence of fentanyl.
The conspirator provided Polanco with a video explaining the proper removal of the bags of fentanyl concealed within the package in order to minimize damage to the package’s contents prior to receiving the package. Additionally, Polanco communicated with conspirators multiple times regarding the quantity of fentanyl he would receive, as well as instructions as to where the package would be delivered once it had been received. Polanco was to be compensated for receiving and transporting the package containing fentanyl.
According to the statute, conspiracy is punishable by a minimum of five years in prison, a maximum of forty years in prison, and a maximum fine of $5 million, or twice the gross amount of any pecuniary gain, whichever is greater. The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on June 28, 2023.