5 things to know about Gulfport inmate who ran a fentanyl ring from Texas prison
A Gulfport man who orchestrated a fentanyl trafficking operation from inside a federal prison in Beaumont, Texas, has been sentenced to life plus 25 years. Marcus Agee used a burner phone to coordinate drug shipments from Mexico to a Mississippi stash house, then tried to intimidate witnesses before his trial.
FULL STORY: Texas convict ran Gulfport drug ring from prison. Here’s how, and his new sentence
Here are key takeaways:
- A federal jury convicted Agee of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and two counts of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. He later pleaded guilty to witness tampering.
- Agee used a burner phone to coordinate fentanyl shipments through messaging apps, text messages and video calls, directing dealers to ship drugs to a Gulfport stash house where they were hidden behind an air-conditioning vent.
- Authorities determined Agee was responsible for distributing more than 4 kilograms of fentanyl — nearly 9 pounds. The investigation began with a January 2025 traffic stop that led to the seizure of nearly 2 pounds of fentanyl and 15,556 fentanyl-laced pills.
- Two Gulfport co-defendants pleaded guilty. Jermiya Spears, who lived at the 23rd Street stash house, is serving more than 4½ years. Marcus “JayBird” Taneal Lloyd, a drug courier, is serving more than 11½ years.
- The witness tampering charge stemmed from recorded jail calls in which Agee discussed persuading witnesses to change testimony implicating him in the operation.
The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The full story in the link at top was reported, written and edited entirely by journalists.
Margaret Baker
Sun Herald