Man arrested after baby’s drug overdose in Puyallup sentenced to federal prison
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Defendant sentenced to six years for fentanyl, meth, cocaine and gun offenses.
- Puyallup incident involved 9-month-old suffering fentanyl overdose.
- Defendant pleaded guilty and likely faces deportation after prison term.
A 37-year-old man has been sentenced to over half a decade in prison for a series of drug and gun crimes, some of which happened in Puyallup.
According to a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice, Dennis Aguilar Huisa was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Seattle on Feb. 11 to six years in prison and three years of supervised release.
“Huisa was arrested three times over 15 months for possession of fentanyl pills and/or powder, methamphetamine, cocaine and a firearm,” the release said.
Huisa was living in a hotel in Des Moines at the time of his third arrest on Nov. 1, 2024, and has been in custody since then. His charges stem from three incidents that happened between August 2023 and November 2024.
First arrest: 1,000 fentanyl pills
The first incident happened on Aug. 15, 2023, when the Puyallup Police Department found Huisa on the side of the road, the release said.
“Huisa said his car had overheated and he and a passenger were waiting for the engine to cool down. The police officer noticed that the license plate on the car did not match the type of vehicle listed in the registration,” the news release said. “Huisa was removed from the car while law enforcement determined whether the car or the license plates were stolen.”
Officers impounded Huisa’s car and found over 1,000 fentanyl pills, “suspected fentanyl powder” and “a scale with drug residue,” the release said.
Second arrest: Child taken to hospital
Huisa’s second arrest happened in Puyallup on Sept. 7, 2024, when PPD received a report about a 9-month-old infant who wasn’t breathing, according to the release.
“Law enforcement worked to get the child to respond and breathe, Central Pierce Fire and Rescue responded and continued to work on providing aid to the child,” the release said.
When officers investigated, they allegedly found that Huisa had given the infant two doses of Narcan, which is a nasal spray designed to reverse opioid overdoses. This led officers to believe Huisa had given the child drugs, the release said.
“Huisa gave permission to search the box truck. Law enforcement located approximately 115 blue fentanyl pills,” the release said. “On Huisa they found fentanyl powder and over $16,000 in cash.”
Officers took the child to Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital and gave the child Narcan, according to the release.
“The child’s blood tested positive for fentanyl, amphetamine, and oxycodone,” the release said. “The child survived.”
Officials released the baby to Child Protective Services, The News Tribune previously reported.
The News Tribune reached out to Peter Camiel, Huisa’s attorney. Camiel declined to comment about the case, except to say that Huisa did not give the child drugs.
“He didn’t intentionally do that,” Camiel told The News Tribune. “It was an accident.”
Third arrest: Fentanyl powder, methamphetamine and cocaine
Huisa’s third and final arrest happened on Nov. 1, 2024, when the Auburn Police Department served a search warrant at the Des Moines hotel he was staying in. When they came to the hotel room, officers found “small packages of fentanyl powder packaged for sale,” which Huisa had been trying to flush down the toilet, the release said.
“Officers found additional fentanyl powder, methamphetamine, and cocaine in other places around the room,” the release said. “Officers once again searched the box truck Huisa had been driving and found two kilograms of fentanyl powder and a Polymer 80 ‘ghost gun’ – a gun made without a serial number.”
After his third arrest
On March 12, 2025, Huisa was charged with four counts of possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute, one count of money laundering, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. A grand jury indicted him on the charges on March 26, 2025.
On Nov. 12, 2025, the release said, he pleaded guilty to possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and money laundering.
“The financial investigation revealed that between July 2022 and September 2024, Huisa had made about $370,000 in cash deposits to his bank account – the proceeds of drug dealing,” the release said.
The release said Huisa told the court he felt guilty for what he had done.
“[I am] very ashamed and cannot forgive myself for what I have done to my daughter,” Huisa told the court, according to the news release. “... I did not come here to deal drugs.”
In a memorandum his attorney submitted to the court before his sentencing, Camiel said Huisa needs to be held accountable, but that the court should take his hardships into account.
“Mr. Aguilar Huisa is a thirty eight-year-old man whose life has been shaped by instability, trauma, and addiction. He has endured significant hardships and losses throughout his childhood and adult life,” Camiel wrote. “... This case represents his rock bottom. He deeply regrets his actions in this matter and the impact they had on others, including his own child.”
Huisa will likely be deported to Honduras after his prison sentence, the release said.
