‘Kingpin’: Arizona man pleads guilty to running large-scale drug trafficking ring
PHOENIX - A Phoenix man has pleaded guilty to charges including violating the federal "Kingpin" statute in connection to leading a large-scale drug trafficking ring known as the Monarrez Drug Trafficking Organization.
The backstory:
From September 2022 to November 2022, Marcos Monarrez-Mendoza obtained hundreds of pounds of methamphetamine, millions of fentanyl pills, and kilograms of cocaine from a Mexican national drug supplier. The 55-year-old organized a network of distributors who redistributed drugs throughout the country, including Arizona, Washington, Minnesota, Kansas, Indiana and Western Pennsylvania, paying couriers to transport and deliver the shipments.
Investigators say Monarrez-Mendoza’s son, Monarrez Jr., was the co-leader. He was also charged among 35 people through a Second Superseding Indictment unsealed in January 2024. The investigation used a federal wiretap and found that Monarrez-Mendoza paid over $100,000 in proceeds from drug sales to couriers who transported funds into Mexico to "promote the drug trafficking operation."
Kingpin: Arizona father and son ran large-scale drug trafficking ring, DOJ says
A father and son duo from Phoenix allegedly led the Monarrez Drug Trafficking Organization, moving fentanyl and meth from Mexican suppliers throughout the United States, and are now facing the rare "Kingpin" charge. FOX 10 Investigator Justin Lum reports.
What's next:
Monarrez-Mendoza also pleaded guilty to charges of operating a continuing criminal enterprise and money laundering. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of Pennsylvania brought the case against Monarrez-Mendoza. He is scheduled to be sentenced on December 5, 2025. He faces a sentence of 20 years to life in prison, a fine of up to $2 million or both.
Marcos Monarrez-Mendoza
Dig deeper:
Twenty-three of the 35 defendants charged in the second superseding indictment have now been convicted for involvement in the Monarrez DTO. Six individuals from the Phoenix area have been sentenced and ten other Arizona residents have pleaded guilty.