VERO BEACH, Fla. — Federal prosecutors said a Los Angeles man was sentenced to life in federal prison for selling fentanyl that caused the death of a Treasure Coast man, then continuing to traffic the deadly drug just two days later.
U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon imposed the sentence on Alfonso Guerrero, 39, of Los Angeles, after a federal jury convicted him in May 2026 of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl resulting in death and distribution of fentanyl resulting in death.
"A tenth of a gram of fentanyl, about the size of a small pinch of salt, was enough to kill David Eller," U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida said in a statement. "This was not a small drug deal. It was a deadly one. Guerrero sold the fentanyl that killed his friend and, just two days later, was caught carrying more fentanyl for distribution. Today’s life sentence is the consequence of that deadly conduct and his long record of violence and crime. Together with the DEA and our local law enforcement partners, we will trace fatal doses back to the dealers who sold them and hold those dealers fully accountable."
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, the U.S. Attorney's Office said Guerrero sold fentanyl in Indian River County.
On May 16, 2023, prosecutors said he exchanged 0.1 gram of fentanyl — commonly known as "a point" — for another controlled substance known as "molly."
Officials said the drug transaction was captured on a doorbell camera. Hours later, Eller was found dead inside his Vero Beach home.
Investigators recovered drug paraphernalia, including a small piece of burnt aluminum foil that the victim used to receive the fentanyl from Guerrero on the victim's front porch, near his body.
Two days later, on May 18, 2023, prosecutors said Guerrero was arrested and found in possession of additional quantities of fentanyl intended for distribution.
Officials said Guerrero's extensive criminal history included documented gang membership and prior convictions for attempted robbery with a firearm in California, aggravated assault in Georgia, and cocaine and fentanyl possession offenses in Florida.
