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A convicted drug trafficker who prosecutors say pumped enough fentanyl into Colorado to kill most of the state will now spend the rest of his life behind bars – he has been sentenced to more than 150 years in prison.
Carlos Gonzalez-Del Hoyo, 44, of Aurora, was sentenced last week to 159 years in the Colorado Department of Corrections by Weld County Circuit Court Judge Annette Kundelius.
The lengthy sentence follows a January jury conviction on six counts related to the distribution of major drugs, including three counts each of distribution of methamphetamine and fentanyl.
Authorities say the case highlights the shocking scale and deadly power of the fentanyl crisis plaguing communities across the country.
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The lengthy sentence underscores the seriousness of fentanyl trafficking as officials crack down on deadly drug networks. (Weld County DA)
“This defendant had enough fentanyl to kill 88% of the people of Weld County if it had been distributed in our community,” said Chief Deputy District Attorney Michael Pirraglia. “This sentence reflects the defendant’s high risk of mass trafficking.”
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A judge handed down a 159-year sentence in a major drug trafficking case involving fentanyl and methamphetamine pills. (Weld County Sheriff’s Office)
Weld County Drug Task Force investigators began tracking Gonzalez-Del Hoyo in September 2024 after receiving information that he was distributing large amounts of drugs in northern Colorado.
During the investigation, he sold drugs to police several times – while out on parole before being convicted of car theft in Adams County.
He was arrested in November 2024 during a traffic stop in Greeley.
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Authorities say the man who was convicted played a key role in distributing pills and meth containing fentanyl throughout the area. (Weld County Sheriff’s Office)
In his car, authorities found about 11 kilograms of methamphetamine and about 6,000 counterfeit pills containing fentanyl.
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Prosecutors described the operation as calculated and violent.
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“His actions were driven by profit, and he was attacking those with addiction,” Pirraglia said. “We will not tolerate this kind of destruction in our community.”
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Weld County, home to about 360,000 residents, is Colorado’s eighth-largest county, according to its population and development report — and officials say cases like these highlight the continuing threat posed by large drug-trafficking networks.
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“The Legislature has made it clear that those who flood our communities with deadly drugs must be held fully accountable,” Pirraglia added. “This sentence reflects that authority.”
Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicide and immigration crime. Send news tips to stepheny.price@fox.com.
