FLORIDA — Mario Clifford Rivera, 32, an MS-13 gang member known by the alias “Chuky,” has been sentenced to 17 years in federal prison for orchestrating a fentanyl trafficking ring from inside a Florida state prison, federal prosecutors announced.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida said Rivera used the U.S. Postal Service to smuggle over three kilograms of fentanyl from Mexico, through California, and into Florida, even while incarcerated.
“Rivera’s 17-year federal prison sentence should serve as a warning to MS-13 and other terrorist gangs who seek to flood our communities with deadly poisons like fentanyl,” said U.S. Attorney Hayden O’Byrne. “Whether you operate on the streets or behind prison walls, we will identify your leaders and dismantle your networks.”
According to prosecutors, Rivera began the operation while out on bond in 2023, awaiting a three-year sentence for throwing a deadly missile into an occupied car and aggravated assault. During that time, he sold two kilograms of fentanyl to a Florida buyer. Once incarcerated, he continued managing the drug ring using contraband cellphones, giving orders to associates about pricing and distribution.
Investigators said the drugs were moved across the U.S.-Mexico border, then mailed into Florida. Rivera reportedly set the street price at $1,500 per ounce, ensuring his cut of the profits was collected even while imprisoned.
Rivera pleaded guilty to federal drug trafficking charges in January. His 17-year federal sentence will begin after he completes his state prison term.
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is committed to ensuring the U.S. Mail is not used as a tool to distribute dangerous drugs,” said Steven L. Hodges, Acting Inspector in Charge of the Miami Division. “This sentence is a reminder that we remain vigilant in our efforts to protect our communities.”
Rivera’s immigration status was not immediately disclosed.
MS-13, a notoriously violent gang founded in El Salvador, was designated a foreign terrorist organization by President Donald Trump amid heightened security concerns at the U.S.-Mexico border earlier this year.
