Honduran National Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Distribution in Oregon

Marvin Yahir Izaguirre-Varela, a 22-year-old Honduran national unlawfully residing in the United States, pleaded guilty May 12 in Oregon federal court to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.

The single-count plea covers conduct that falls under 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1). Izaguirre-Varela faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum of 40 years. Sentencing has not been scheduled.

The case forms one data point in federal prosecutions of noncitizens charged with fentanyl trafficking. In fiscal year 2025, U.S. attorneys' offices reported more than 2,100 such cases nationwide involving defendants who entered the country unlawfully, according to Justice Department compilations.

Oregon's caseload has grown in line with interdictions along the I-5 corridor, where small quantities of fentanyl powder and pills move from Mexican cartels through Central American networks.

The guilty plea changes Izaguirre-Varela's legal status from pretrial detainee to convicted felon. He must now undergo a presentence investigation report before U.S. District Judge Michael H. Simon imposes sentence. The timeline for that report and hearing typically runs 60 to 90 days from the plea date, placing potential sentencing in July or August 2026.

Downstream effects include automatic removal proceedings by Immigration and Customs Enforcement upon completion of any prison term. The conviction also counts toward the Department of Homeland Security's recidivism tracking for noncitizens previously deported who re-enter and commit drug crimes.

Federal agents must now decide whether to pursue additional charges against any co-conspirators identified during the investigation. The case further requires the U.S. attorney's office to report the disposition to the Executive Office for Immigration Review so that immigration courts can update Izaguirre-Varela's record.

This marks the latest federal fentanyl plea recorded in the District of Oregon this year. The Department of Justice issued the announcement from its Portland office on May 12, 2026. Similar cases in the same district have involved defendants from Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras, most charged after traffic stops or controlled buys that recovered between 50 grams and several kilograms of fentanyl.