DES MOINES, Wash. — This story was originally published on MyNorthwest.com.

A local man caught three times with “dealer quantities” of fentanyl has been indicted on federal charges.

“In one encounter, police and medics saved the life of an infant suffering from an opioid overdose,” according to a press release Thursday from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Dennis Aguilar Huisa, 37, was living in a Des Moines, Washington, hotel. His first encounter with police was in Puyallup on Aug. 15, 2023. He told police his car had overheated and he and his passenger were waiting for the engine to cool down, authorities said.

“The police officer noticed that the license plate on the car did not match the type of vehicle listed in the registration,” the press release said. “Huisa was removed from the car while law enforcement determined whether the car or the license plates were stolen. A second officer noticed blue pills in the car.”

A search of the vehicle revealed about 1,000 fentanyl pills as well as some suspected fentanyl powder, according to police. They also found a scale with drug residue in the car.

Child was put at risk

In September 2024, Puyallup police received a report of a nine-month-old baby who had stopped breathing. Officers met Huisa and a woman outside a box truck. They had the baby in their arms.

“The law enforcement investigation found evidence that Huisa and the child’s mother had given the infant two doses of Narcan, suspecting that the child had been exposed to fentanyl or other drugs,” the release said. “Huisa gave permission to search the box truck. Law enforcement located approximately 115 blue fentanyl pills. On Huisa, they found fentanyl powder and over $16,000 in cash.”

At Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital, the baby was given another dose of Narcan. Doctors found fentanyl, amphetamine, and oxycodone in their system. The baby survived and was temporarily released to Child Protective Services, authorities said.

Huisa was caught a third time with drugs

Huisa’s third and final encounter with police was on Nov. 1, 2024.

Auburn Police Department’s Special Investigations Unit served a search warrant on the Des Moines hotel where Huisa had been living.

“In the hotel room, they found small packages of fentanyl powder packaged for sale in the toilet,” the release said. “They found additional fentanyl powder, methamphetamine, and cocaine in other places around the room.”Once again, police searched the box truck Huisa had been driving. Inside, they found two kilograms of fentanyl powder and a Polymer 80 “ghost gun,” which is a gun made without a serial number.

The indictment

On March 12, 2025, Huisa was taken into federal custody.

He was indicted on March 26 for four counts of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and money laundering.

Possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute is punishable by a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and up to life in prison. Possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime is punishable by a mandatory minimum of five years in prison and up to life in prison. Money laundering is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

Huisa’s initial court appearance was scheduled for Thursday afternoon.

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