CARROLLTON, Texas – A federal judge has sentenced three individuals to a combined 35 years in prison for their involvement in a drug conspiracy linked to the deaths of three teenage girls in North Texas. The conspiracy is tied to at least 12 juvenile overdoses, with three of them proving fatal in Carrollton and Flower Mound.
In June of last year, 23-year-olds Jason Xavier Villanueva and Rafael Soliz pleaded guilty to distributing fentanyl to individuals under 21. In July 2023, 20-year-old Roberta Alexander Gaitan also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute fentanyl. The indictment alleges that the individuals conspired to traffic counterfeit opioid pills laced with fentanyl to young teens, often through juvenile dealers.
U.S. District Judge Ed Kinkeade sentenced Villanueva to 15 years in prison, Gaitan to 5 years, and Soliz to 15 years. Villanueva admitted to distributing more than 200,000 fentanyl pills in North Texas over a period of five to six months.
The drugs were often advertised via social media, and the victims’ ages spanned from 13 to 17. “I was at today’s sentencing and heard statements from both the defendant’s and the victim’s family and friends. Nobody won today. This is what drug trafficking and abuse does. Lives have been destroyed and tragically some we will never get back,” said DEA Dallas Special Agent in Charge, Eduardo A. Chávez.
Multiple agencies, including the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Office and the Carrollton Police Department, contributed to the investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rick Calvert and Phelesa Guy.
The tragedy of three fatal overdoses and a total of 12 juvenile overdoses in Carrollton and Flower Mound is a sobering reminder of the devastating impact of drug trafficking on communities. The sentences handed down by the federal judge highlight the severity of the situation and the commitment of law enforcement to hold those responsible accountable for their actions.