MISSOULA — A Missoula man has been sentenced to nearly 20 years in federal prison after admitting to drug trafficking charges.

Alejandro Romero, 36, who admitted to distributing pounds of methamphetamine and thousands of fentanyl pills that were shipped from Washington, was sentenced on Thursday, Jan. 2 to 19 years and seven months in federal prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.

Romero, 36, pleaded guilty in August 2024 to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.

The government alleged in court documents that Romero possessed fentanyl and meth for distribution between December 2023 and March 2024 in Missoula.

During the sentencing hearing, the court noted that Romero was distributing fentanyl, including pink fentanyl which is a more potent form of the drug.

One person purchased approximately two pounds of meth directly from Romero in separate transactions and also purchased fentanyl pills and heroin from him.

A news release states the person also witnessed Romero in his hotel room and in possession of thousands of fentanyl pills, pounds of powdered fentanyl, 10 pounds of meth — the equivalent of approximately 36,240 doses — and a little more than two pounds of heroin.

Another person received approximately 1,000 fentanyl pills in Washington in a drug transaction that Romero arranged and had fronted the individual $3,000 to obtain the pills.

When interviewed Romero admitted that he distributed in Montana large quantities of meth and fentanyl that had been shipped from Washington, the release states.

U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided over the sentencing.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case which was investigated by the FBI’s Montana Regional Violent Crime Task Force and the Missoula Police Department.