A Honduran national living in Des Moines, Washington, was sentenced to six years in federal prison and three years of supervised release for drug and firearm offenses. Dennis Aguilar Huisa, 37, received the sentence in U.S. District Court in Seattle after being arrested three times over a 15-month period for possession of fentanyl pills and powder, methamphetamine, cocaine, and a firearm.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd announced the sentencing. At the hearing, U.S. District Judge John C. Chun addressed the dangers associated with fentanyl use: “Fentanyl is so dangerous and has destroyed so many lives…. He must have known that he was putting himself and his family at risk.”
The case records indicate that Huisa’s first arrest occurred on August 15, 2023, when Puyallup Police stopped him by the roadside after noticing a license plate discrepancy on his car. During the stop, officers observed blue pills inside the vehicle; a subsequent search revealed about 1,000 fentanyl pills and suspected fentanyl powder along with a scale containing drug residue.
On September 7, 2024, police responded to an emergency involving a nine-month-old infant who had stopped breathing outside a box truck where Huisa was present. Law enforcement found evidence that Huisa administered two doses of Narcan to the child due to suspected exposure to drugs. Officers discovered approximately 115 blue fentanyl pills in the truck as well as fentanyl powder and over $16,000 in cash on Huisa’s person. The infant was transported to Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital and survived after receiving additional medical treatment; blood tests confirmed exposure to fentanyl, amphetamine, and oxycodone.
A third arrest took place on November 1, 2024 when Auburn Police executed a search warrant at Huisa’s motel room in Des Moines. Officers found small packages of fentanyl powder prepared for sale; Huisa had attempted to flush some down the toilet upon law enforcement’s arrival. Additional drugs—including methamphetamine and cocaine—were located around the room. A further search of his box truck uncovered two kilograms of fentanyl powder and an untraceable Polymer 80 ‘ghost gun.’
Huisa faced charges by criminal complaint on March 12, 2025 before being indicted by a grand jury later that month. On November 12, 2025 he pleaded guilty to possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm during drug trafficking crimes, and money laundering charges.
Investigators determined that between July 2022 and September 2024 Huisa deposited roughly $370,000 in cash into his bank account from drug sales.
During sentencing remarks today Huisa stated: “I am very ashamed and cannot forgive myself for what I have done to my daughter… I did not come here to deal drugs.”
Prosecutors had sought an eight-and-a-half-year sentence citing repeated offenses: “Huisa was contacted by law enforcement on three different occasions and continued to engage in his drug trafficking activities, to the detriment of his infant daughter. Huisa appeared to be undeterred following the overdose of his child and continued to engage in the distribution of controlled substances.”
Following completion of his prison term it is likely that Huisa will be deported back to Honduras.
The investigation involved multiple agencies including Puyallup Police Department; Auburn Police Department; Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS CI); and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Casey Conzatti.
