By Canadian Press

Montreal man gets 22 years in U.S. prison in transborder fentanyl distribution ring

Jul 19, 2023 | 9:28 AM

WASHINGTON — A Quebec man has been sentenced to 22 years behind bars for his role in a global fentanyl distribution scheme operated from inside a Canadian prison. 

Xuan Cahn Nguyen, 43, of Montreal, was extradited to the U.S. in 2021 and pleaded guilty last year in Fargo, N.D., to drug distribution and money laundering charges. 

Two co-conspirators with Nguyen, whose alias was “Jackie Chan,” oversaw the operation from inside Drummond Institution, a medium-security prison in Drummondville, Que. 

Jason Berry and Daniel Vivas Ceron are scheduled to be sentenced next week. 

Marie Um, 42, also of Montreal, was found guilty on similar charges in April as part of “Operation Denial,” which led to charges against 34 defendants in North Dakota and Oregon. 

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RCMP investigators assisted with the probe, which is part of an ongoing Justice Department drug enforcement task force aimed at slowing the flow of fentanyl into the U.S.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 19, 2023.

The Canadian Press