Accused Fentanyl Trafficking Kingpin To Plead Guilty

FARGO, N.D. – A man accused of playing a major role in a deadly international fentanyl trafficking operation has signed a federal plea agreement in North Dakota.

Daniel Vivas Ceron will plead guilty to three counts, including conspiracy to import controlled substances resulting in serious bodily injury and death. He faces life in prison.

The Colombian national allegedly ran his part of the enterprise from a Canadian prison.

A Friday plea hearing is scheduled in Fargo.

The investigation began following 18-year-old Bailey Henke’s death in Grand Forks in 2015. Authorities say he overdosed on fentanyl supplied by a man who received his drugs from Vivas Ceron.

More than 30 people, including five Chinese nationals, have been charged.