WICHITA – A California man was sentenced today to 8 years in federal prison for transporting fentanyl and heroin to Kansas, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said Wednesday in a news release.
Mauricio Canas, 24, Bermuda Dunes, Calif., pleaded guilty to one count of interstate transportation in furtherance of drug trafficking and one count of using a phone in furtherance of drug trafficking. In his plea, Canas admitted he and a co-defendant were stopped in Thomas County for a traffic violation. In the car, troopers found more than 9 pounds of fentanyl and more than 8 pounds of heroin.
Investigators learned Canas was transporting the drugs from California to New York for distribution when he passed through Kansas. He used a phone to communicate with his contacts in New York.
Co-defendant Eduardo Arellano-Sanchez is set for sentencing Feb. 16.
McAllister commended the Kansas Highway Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Katie Andrusak for their work on the case.