Two sentenced to federal prison for fentanyl distribution linked to teen death

SHERMAN, Texas – An Arizona woman and a Dallas man have been sentenced to federal prison for their roles in a fentanyl distribution network that prosecutors said was linked to the death of a teenager in the Eastern District of Texas.

Pamela Esquivias, 25, of Maricopa, Arizona, and Aaron Jay Perez, 29, of Dallas, both pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl. U.S. District Judge Amos L. Mazzant, III, sentenced Esquivias to 262 months in federal prison and Perez to 120 months in federal prison on September 17, 2026, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

According to information presented in court, a 16-year-old girl overdosed and died in Flower Mound in August 2023 after ingesting counterfeit oxycodone laced with fentanyl. The investigation identified Esquivias as a source of supply who distributed hundreds of thousands of blue M-30 fentanyl tablets from Arizona to multiple states, including Texas.

Prosecutors stated that Perez acted as a local distributor in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, trafficking fentanyl, marijuana, and cocaine.

The case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative, a partnership involving multiple federal and state agencies. The task force is dedicated to eliminating criminal organizations and human trafficking rings. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. Johnson led the prosecution for the Eastern District of Texas.

The sentencing took place in federal court in Sherman, which serves as the location for the U.S. Attorney’s office handling the case.

Sources

U.S. Department of Justice