Sebastien Rollin, a Canadian national from Quebec, has been charged by federal indictment with conspiracy to import protonitazene, distribution of protonitazene for importation into the United States, and international promotional money laundering, according to a Mar. 17 announcement by United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe.
The charges stem from an investigation into the sale of synthetic opioid pills disguised as oxycodone that were intended for distribution in Tampa. Authorities say Rollin sold more than 10,000 such pills to an undercover officer on May 13, 2024, and later sold another 25,000 pills on July 9, 2024. Payment for these transactions was reportedly made via cryptocurrency sent from Florida to Canada.
In mid-July 2024, Rollin allegedly negotiated the sale of an additional 300,000 synthetic opioid pills to the United States. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police intercepted a courier’s vehicle and seized the pills before they could be delivered. On the same day, police executed search warrants at two clandestine laboratories in Quebec used for manufacturing synthetic opioids. These searches resulted in the seizure of millions of synthetic opioid pills, drug recipes, and a firearm.
Rollin was located and apprehended with assistance from Spanish National Police. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with Spain’s government to secure his arrest and extradition on Feb. 20.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dan Baeza and is part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative established by Executive Order 14159. This initiative aims to eliminate criminal cartels and transnational criminal organizations operating within the United States and abroad through interagency collaboration.
An indictment is only a formal charge; all defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
