Last defendant sentenced in Buckeye heroin pill case

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 13 Oct, 00:02 · Archive

Edgardo Dominguez-Cortez was sentenced to just over nine years in prison for his role in a heroin trafficking operation.

Three men were arrested in December 2024 after Buckeye police pulled over a vehicle and discovered a Golden Grahams cereal box stuffed with bags of blue pills. Investigators say the pills tested positive for heroin.

Edgardo Dominguez-Cortez, Jesus Beltran Bajorquez and Marcos Ochoa were charged with conspiracy, illegally conducting an enterprise and transportation of a narcotic drug for sale. Investigators found video of the pill-filled box on Dominguez-Cortez's phone, along with text messages between the men discussing a drug deal. Similar messages were found on the other men's phones, including some inviting Dominguez-Cortez to participate.

Bajorquez and Ochoa pleaded guilty. Bajorquez was sentenced to four years in prison, while Ochoa received eight years. Dominguez-Cortez went to trial in August 2026, where a jury found him guilty on all charges. He was sentenced to just over nine years in prison last month, making him the final defendant in the case to be sentenced.

How it is being reported

• Last defendant sentenced in Buckeye cereal box heroin bustA cereal box filled with heroin-laced pills led police to a drug trafficking operation in the West Valley nearly two years ago. Now, the final man involved learned how long he’ll spend in prison.KOLD · 12 Oct, 20:21
• Last defendant sentenced in Buckeye cereal box heroin bustA cereal box filled with heroin-laced pills led police to a drug trafficking operation in the West Valley nearly two years ago. Now, the final man involved learned how long he’ll spend in prison.Azfamily · 12 Oct, 15:06

In this story: Edgardo Dominguez-Cortez · Jesus Beltran Bajorquez · Marcos Ochoa · Buckeye · Buckeye Police Department · Kris Mayes

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem