Source: Office of United States Attorneys
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A Utah County man was ordered to detention in federal court today after he was indicted by a federal grand jury last week and charged with a federal drug crime for allegedly attempting to have carfentanil shipped to Utah for distribution.
Carfentanil is most commonly used as a tranquilizing agent for elephants and other large mammals. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, carfentanil is 10,000 times more potent than morphine, and 100 times more potent than fentanyl, which itself is 50 times more potent than heroin.
According to court documents, Clint James Pendleton, 29, of Provo, Utah, attempted to receive a package containing approximately 20 grams of carfentanil on January 22, 2025. The package was destined for an address in Payson, Utah, but was intercepted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection at Los Angeles International Airport in California. The package was opened and the suspected carfentanil was tested and presumptively identified as carfentanil and weighed approximately 20 grams. Subsequently, the package was tracked to Pendleton who had signed up to receive tracking updates on the package. Additionally, law enforcement discovered Pendleton allegedly had a history of his criminal activity written in a notebook that included amounts of controlled substances purchased, prices, and tracking numbers, including for carfentanil. The DEA has identified carfentanil as “crazy dangerous” and a serious growing concern as it is becoming more prevalent in our communities.
Pendleton is charged with attempted possession of carfentanil with intent to distribute. His initial appearance on the indictment was February 5, 2025, before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.
United States Attorney Trina A. Higgins for the District of Utah made the announcement.
The case is being investigated by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office and the Utah County Major Crimes Task Force (UCMC).
Special Assistant United States Attorney Pete Reichman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.