Man gets 48 years after 100K fentanyl pills are seized
Published on July 11, 2025
GREELEY, Colo. (Weld County D.A.) – A Denver man will spend the next several decades behind bars for his role in a major Northern Colorado drug trafficking ring.
On March 26th 2024, Colorado State Troopers pulled over Miguel Gutierrez-Heredia in Fruita, Colorado located in Mesa County. Gutierrez-Heredia was going 93 mph in a 75 mph speed zone.
At the time of the traffic stop, the defendant was a subject of a drug trafficking investigation in Northern Colorado and authorities were tracking his whereabouts.
As part of the investigation, investigators were able to conclude that the defendant had gone to California to pick up narcotics that would eventually be distributed in Denver and Northern Colorado.
During the traffic stop, authorities located nearly 100,000 fentanyl pills, nearly five pounds of cocaine, and more than two and a half pounds of methamphetamine in Gutierrez-Heredia’s vehicle.
“At the time of this interception, this was one of the biggest fentanyl busts in the state,” Chief Deputy District Attorney Michael Pirraglia said. “Because of the incredible work from our partners in law enforcement, they were able to stop that poison from making its way to our community. I can’t imagine how many lives would have been impacted, or taken, had these drugs flooded our streets of Weld County.”
In May, the defendant pled guilty to: one count of Conspiracy to Sell or Distribute Fentanyl, More Than 50 grams (DF1), one count of Special Offender - Introducing or Importing to State of Colorado (DF1) and one count of Possession with Intent to Sell or Distribute Methamphetamine - More Than 14 Grams but Less Than 225 grams (DF2.)
Before Weld County District Court Judge Vincente Vigil handed down the maximum sentence of 48 years in the Colorado Department of Corrections Monday afternoon, he reminded the defendant about the seriousness of his crime.
“I want to be clear,” Judge Vigil said. “This was a choice. This is something you decided to do. The cost of doing business in Weld County might be more of a price than you wanted to bear.”
This investigation was a collaborative effort involving several local, state, and federal agencies, including: the Northern Colorado Drug Task Force (NCDTF), Weld County Drug Task Force (WCDTF), Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Colorado State Patrol, and the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office Major Narcotics Trafficking Unit Task Force based in Denver.
Highlighting the importance of this joint operation, NCDTF Commander Lt. Mark Hertz stated, “Illicit narcotics are destroying lives and families across our community. Our Northern Colorado Drug Task Force, Weld County Drug Task Force, DEA, and other regional partners work nonstop to take down drug traffickers, and this case is a great example of what we can accomplish when we work together.”
In addition to Chief Deputy District Attorney Michael Pirraglia, Deputy District Attorney Katherine Fitzgerald also prosecuted this case.