LATROBE, Pa. — A man accused of bringing drugs into Westmoreland County by train will spend years behind bars.
The Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office says Brenden Fuentes, 23, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to deliver, drug possession, and possession of paraphernalia on Thursday.
He was then sentenced to four to eight years in prison, followed by two years of probation.
The DA’s office says Fuentes trafficked carfentanil, an opioid originally used to tranquilize large animals, and crack cocaine from Philadelphia to Latrobe in April 2025. The DA alleges the drugs he was transported were wrapped in plastic shrink wrap, along with bars of soap, and covered in Vicks VapoRub to try to conceal the odor from K9 detection.
DA Ziccarrelli states that carfentanil is 100 times stronger than fentanyl.
“A granule-size of this narcotic – similar to a granule of sand – is powerful enough to kill someone," she said at the time of his arrest. “By intercepting these lethal drugs, many lives will be saved. I am incredibly thankful for the intensive interdiction work displayed by our law enforcement officers.”
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