Supplier of fentanyl that caused Carrollton teen overdoses charged with drug crimes: feds

A top source of fentanyl supply in Carrollton has been arrested and charged with federal drug crimes, the U.S attorney for the Northern District of Texas announced Wednesday.

The suspect was arrested Tuesday and made his initial appearance in federal court Wednesday afternoon.

Jason Xavier Villanueva, 22, was charged via criminal complaint with conspiracy to distribute a Schedule II controlled substance.

According to the complaint, Villanueva allegedly worked through a juvenile dealer to supply fentanyl-laced pills to Luis Eduardo Navarrete, 21, and Magaly Mejia Cano, 29, who are accused of peddling pills to teenage dealers in Carrollton. Villanueva also allegedly transacted with some of the teenage dealers directly.

Navarrete and Cano were charged via criminal complaint with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances last week and remain detained pending trial.

A criminal complaint is an allegation of criminal conduct and is not evidence. Navarrete, Cano and Villanueva are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

The defendants face up to 20 years each in federal prison if convicted.

All three defendants allegedly trafficked pills, mostly blue tablets inscribed “M-30,” to juvenile dealers in Carrollton, who went on to sell to friends and classmates, according to a news release from the United States Attorney’s Office.

The drugs led to as many as 10 overdoses, including nine teenagers from Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District. Three students died as a result. The victims, all middle and high school students, ranged from 13 to 17 years of age and referred to the pills with slang terms such as “percs,” “yerks,” “blues,” or “M-30s.”

“Fentanyl is killing our kids. We are angry about it. We are heartbroken about it. And we are determined to do all we can about it,” said Leigha Simonton, U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Texas, at a press conference Wednesday afternoon. “Make no mistake: Unless it comes from a licensed medical provider, that pill your child thinks is Percocet, or OxyContin, or Xanax, or Adderall, may actually be fentanyl. And if it is fentanyl, chances are, even a small part of one pill may be deadly.”

Three of the surviving overdose victims identified two juvenile dealers as their sources for pills, according to the complaint. Evidence showed that both juvenile dealers corresponded with Villanueva over social media about drug purchases. One of the two juvenile dealers admitted to law enforcement that Villanueva was his supplier.

In an interview with law enforcement following his arrest, Navarrete allegedly revealed that he, too, obtained the drugs he allegedly dealt to minors from Villanueva through one of the juvenile dealers.

Villanueva allegedly posted photographs of “M30” pills, money and guns on social media. He used a social media app to negotiate drug transactions with juvenile dealers and described the quality of the pills he was selling to his customers, according to the release.

Following Navarrete and Cano’s arrests last week, Villanueva posted on social media, “Only thing that’s gonna stop us is feds.”

“We take this seriously in our community; we will leave no stone unturned to ensure the safety of our children,” said Roberto Arredondo, Carrollton police chief.

The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Office and the Carrollton Police Department conducted the investigation with the assistance of school resource officers from the Carrollton-Farmer’s Branch Independent School. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Phelesa Guy and Rick Calvert are prosecuting the case.

Illicitly produced, fentanyl-laced pills often look similar to legitimate prescription pills such as Oxycontin or Percocet, but can pose significantly more danger. On the street, these pills are often referred to as “M30s” (a reference to the markings on some of the pills), “blues,” “perks,” “yerks,” “china girls,” or “TNT.”

“Fentanyl does not discriminate by age, race, gender, or socio-economic status. Its addictive properties cannot be compared to anything else on the streets today. The overdose and poisoning margin of error between life or death is microscopic,” said Eduardo Chávez, DEA Dallas special agent in charge, at Wednesday’s press conference. “We all have a role in this fight. Because it is a fight. It is a fight for our families, it is a fight to curb substance abuse, and it is a fight to hold criminal drug networks accountable for their actions.”

DEA research shows that six out of 10 pills laced with fentanyl contain a potentially lethal dose. For resources or more information, visit https://www.dea.gov/onepill.