An illegal immigrant was getting fentanyl from the cartels shipped to North Carolina. The counterfeit pills contained fentanyl and were killing people
Omar Antonio Jaramillo-Meza, 24, is an illegal immigrant from Mexico. He has strong ties to the Sinaloa Cartel. Omar sold drugs in North Carolina, and in August 2026 he was sentenced to 12 years in prison for trafficking more than 133,000 counterfeit pills containing fentanyl.
According to court documents and court proceedings, a DEA confidential source was introduced to “El Moro,” who was affiliated with the Sinaloa Cartel and later identified as Omar, and had access to large quantities of narcotics, including fentanyl. During the investigation, the confidential source used a messaging app to arrange multiple drug buys with Omar.
In April 2022, law enforcement seized 3,000 oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl that Omar had sent to the confidential source.
The pills were marked with “M-30,” a marking used on prescription oxycodone pills. An analysis by the DEA laboratory confirmed the seized pills contained fentanyl. During a subsequent meeting between the confidential source and Omar, the defendant discussed future fentanyl shipments to the confidential source and explained that he had drugs sent by plane from Colombia to Mexico.
In February 2023, Omar sent a message to the confidential source, letting him know that fentanyl pills were in a package on the way to Charlotte and provided a tracking number. Investigators intercepted the package and seized 80,000 blue “M-30” pills that contained fentanyl.
In June 2023, law enforcement also intercepted another drug delivery arranged by Omar, seizing approximately 20,000 fentanyl pills in Cleveland County. In addition, investigators determined that Omar supervised a network of couriers that arranged drug deliveries throughout the United States, including a delivery of 30,000 fentanyl pills seized by law enforcement in New York City.
Court documents show that Omar was responsible for trafficking more than 15 kilograms of fentanyl pills during the investigation. In September 2024, Omar pleaded guilty to one count of knowingly and intentionally distributing fentanyl and one count of knowingly and intentionally distributing fentanyl and cocaine.
In August 2026 Omar was sentenced to 12 years in prison. Omar is in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation to a federal facility. Omar is an illegal immigrant in the USA without consent.
