Hemet man who admitted selling fentanyl through the mail is sentenced to 19 years

A 38-year-old Riverside County man who distributed fentanyl out of his apartment, sending packets of the powerful synthetic opiate through the US mail, was sentenced Friday to 19 years in federal prison.

Ignacio Alcala pleaded guilty in November in downtown Los Angeles to four federal charges: two counts of distribution of fentanyl, and one count each of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine and possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

The Hemet resident was identified by US Postal service investigators as the source of fentanyl being sent via mail in December 2022, according to the Riverside County Gang Impact Team. A search warrant was served the same month at Alcala’s apartment in the 3800 block of West Devonshire Avenue.

The search resulted in the seizure of 40.7 pounds of fentanyl, a half-pound of methamphetamine, a fully automatic “ghost gun” pistol and a second firearm that was previously reported as stolen, according to the Gang Impact Team.

The amount of fentanyl seized, valued at more than $3 million, would have been enough to kill 9 million people, the agency reported.

It was unclear exactly how long Alcala had been distributing the substance.

The synthetic opioid is manufactured in overseas labs, including in China and, according to the US Drug Enforcement Administration, is smuggled across the U.S.-Mexico border by cartels. Fentanyl is 80 to 100 times more potent than morphine and can be mixed into any number of street narcotics and prescription drugs, without a user knowing what he or she is consuming. Ingestion of only two milligrams can be fatal, officials said.