(La Porte, IN) - A 22-year-old La Porte man will be doing some hard time for dealing fentanyl.

 

Pedro Burgos has been given a 17-year prison sentence.

 

Per the investigation, one of the alleged transactions occurred in June of last year in La Porte after he and a buyer agreed on Facebook Messenger to meet outside of the Speedway on East Lincolnway.

 

Burgos pulled up and the buyer climbed into his car.  Burgos, suspecting he was possibly being watched by police, then drove off to see if he would be followed.

 

The $300 exchange was carried out after Burgos felt safe. According to court documents, the fentanyl was contained inside hand-pressed pills from Mexico.

 

LaPorte County Prosecutor Sean Fagan said the arrest was part of Operation Play Pen, which was an effort to identify and disrupt shipments of fentanyl coming into LaPorte County. He gave credit to members of the La Porte County Drug Task Force, as well as Deputy Prosecutor Atley Price along with Julianne Havens for getting a conviction in the case.

 

“Most people don’t realize the long hours and painstaking effort that goes into identifying suppliers and dealers.  That toil and sweat is what lays the foundation of a successful prosecution.  That’s why Mr. Burgos is behind bars,” he said.