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Florida Drug Traffickers Sentenced for Torturing Rival with Hot Sauce Over Fentanyl Deal

Up to 25-year prison terms conclude an 18-hour torture episode aimed at extorting 10 kg of fentanyl from a rival

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Overview

  • Mario Espino received 22.5 years while Joey Young was handed 25 years and Jacob Guest got 20 years for their roles in the kidnapping and torture.
  • On October 12, 2023 the trio held Gabriel Leger captive, pouring hot sauce into his eyes and rectum to force him to procure fentanyl from cartel contacts.
  • Authorities said the men fled when law enforcement approached, abandoning 22 kg of meth, 100 g of fentanyl, a firearm and over $10,000 in cash.
  • All three pleaded guilty to kidnapping, drug trafficking and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug crime.
  • The US Justice Department cited the case as an example of the extreme violence that can erupt from internal disputes within trafficking networks.