Fentanyl Dealer Miguel Ramos Facing Life In Prison

In October, San Francisco police arrested 24-year-old Miguel Ramos in the Tenderloin for possession of illicit substances. Officers found two ounces of methamphetamine as well as individual ounces of crack-cocaine and heroin. Then they made a startling discovery. Also in Ramos’ backpack were 7.8 pounds of fentanyl.

Interim District Attorney Brooke Jenkins jumped at the chance to attach herself to the case. Jenkins made sure to word the significance of the October 8th arrest in straightforward terms. Ramos carried enough of the super-deadly opioid to “wipe out the entire population of San Francisco.” Fentanyl is notorious for killing with as little as two milligrams, highlighting the exponential lethality of Ramos’ nearly eight-pound stash.

Prosecutors pushed to hold Ramos in federal custody for that reason, arguing the man posed a threat to the public. Though U.S. Magistrate Judge Laurel Beeler detained Ramos without bail, she seemed to disagree that fentanyl’s potency made its illegal possession extra-punishable. Judge Beeler claimed that Ramos, “a native of Honduras, lacks significant ties to the Northern District of California. He does not possess the employment or family stability that would reasonably assure his appearance at future federal court proceedings.” (San Jose Mercury News)

SFPD first encountered Miguel Ramos in the Tenderloin during the early morning hours of Saturday, October 8th. He allegedly fit the description of a man who had assaulted and pulled a gun on a victim hours before. Police declared the suspect resisted arrest, after which the cops physically restrained him. In addition to the fentanyl, prosecutors claimed to find an $800 cash sum and a gram-counting scale. Accidental ingestion of a lethal fentanyl dosage may occur when residue contaminates measurements of substances like cocaine and ketamine.

Ramos is currently facing life in federal prison.