A Rockford man was sentenced Thursday to 11 years in federal prison for attempting to import more than half a kilogram of fentanyl into the United States from Mexico.

Benigno Sanchez, 47, pleaded guilty earlier this year to one count of attempting to possess with intent to deliver 400 grams or more of fentanyl.

U.S. District Judge Iain Johnston imposed the sentence during a hearing Thursday in Rockford federal court.

Sanchez admitted that in March 2023 he expected a package containing controlled substances to be delivered to him via FedEx from Mexico to an address in Rockford. Law enforcement agents intercepted the package, which contained more than 500 grams of fentanyl pressed into pills (designed to imitate opioid pills) that were hidden inside a wooden tortilla press.

After detecting the fentanyl inside the package, law enforcement agents removed the drugs and delivered the package to Sanchez. Once delivered, Sanchez took custody of the package, drove it to another location, and opened it to take possession of what he believed to be the drugs.