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Date: Jan. 16, 2026
Contact: newsroom@ci.irs.gov
Pensacola, FL – Christopher J. Watson of Pensacola, Florida, was indicted in federal court for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute over 400 grams of fentanyl and over 500 grams of cocaine; conspiracy to utilize a telephone communication facility to carry out a drug trafficking crime; conspiracy to commit money laundering; possession with intent to distribute fentanyl; and attempting to prevent the seizure of drug trafficking evidence by lawful authorities. The indictment was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
Watson appeared for his arraignment in federal court before United States Magistrate Judge Zachary C. Bolitho, in Pensacola, Florida. Jury trial is scheduled for March 2, 2026, at 8:00 am, before District Court Judge M. Casey Rogers.
Watson faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years up to life imprisonment if convicted. The indictment reveals that Watson has previously spent time in federal prison for similar offenses.
The case involved a joint investigation by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, the Pensacola Police Department, and the Florida Highway Patrol. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David L. Goldberg and Jessica S. Etherton.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime, human and drug trafficking.
IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) is the law enforcement arm of the IRS, responsible for conducting financial crime investigations, including tax fraud, narcotics trafficking, money laundering, public corruption, healthcare fraud, identity theft and more. IRS-CI special agents are the only federal law enforcement agents with investigative jurisdiction over violations of the Internal Revenue Code, obtaining a 90% federal conviction rate. The agency has 19 field offices located across the U.S. and 14 attaché posts abroad.