Man sentenced for transporting 9,000 fentanyl pills, 44 pounds of meth through Seward County

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – A Denver man was sentenced in federal court in Omaha on Wednesday after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl.

Jesus Villanueva, 26, will be serving over 19 years in prison, then five years of supervised release.

On March 4, 2023, Villanueva was a passenger riding with Fausto Castro-Mendoza on Interstate 80.

They were pulled over by a Seward County deputy sheriff.

After speaking with the driver and passenger, the deputy suspected that they were involved in criminal activity.

During a search of the vehicle, the deputy found about 44 pounds of meth and 9,000 fentanyl pills, the sheriff’s office said.

Both men admitted to being paid for transporting the drugs from Denver, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Castro-Mendoza has since pleaded guilty to the same charges and is scheduled to be sentenced on April 17.