Two Dallas residents have been sentenced to more than 15 years in federal prison for their involvement in the distribution of over $600,000 in fentanyl, according to Nancy E. Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas.
Christle Nadia Ruiz, 22, and Ricardo Antonio Flores, 29, both of Dallas, Texas, pleaded guilty in October 2024 to conspiring to possess and distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
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On June 26, 2025, United States District Judge Karen Gren Scholer sentenced each to 188 months in prison. According to court records, Flores and Ruiz lived together and distributed fentanyl from a residence on Ezekiel Avenue in Dallas. Flores delivered 1,000 fentanyl tablets in February and March 2023 for $2,000 apiece. Ruiz and Flores received a supply of around 50,000 fentanyl tablets in April 2023, which they intended to distribute. During a search warrant execution at their home, Ruiz tried to flush several fentanyl pills down the toilet.
Agents stated that Ruiz acquired roughly 10,000 fentanyl pills three to four weeks before the search warrant execution and advertised fentanyl sales on a social media account with the terms “Happy vibes… Thug Paradise.”
In the Dallas area, one fentanyl pill costs $10 on the street, so 60,000 pills are thought to be worth $600,000.
“As we pointed out to the Court during the defendants’ sentencing hearings, tens of thousands of tragic overdose deaths occur each year due to fentanyl, and those who distribute it know exactly what they are doing,” said Acting United States Attorney Nancy Larson. “The staggering amount of fentanyl in this case would have caused far-reaching devastation to our families and community, but for the tremendous efforts of our law enforcement partners in apprehending these defendants and keeping this deadly poison off the streets. We are resolved to relentlessly pursue these offenders and seek the lengthy prison sentences they deserve.”
“This sentence sends a clear message that those who profit from poisoning our communities with fentanyl will be held accountable,” said Eduardo A. Chavez, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration in Dallas. “Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, has caused thousands of overdose deaths and devastated communities across the nation. The investigation and sentence handed down in this case reflects an unwavering resolve by law enforcement to protect public safety and pursue justice for the victims of the opioid epidemic.”
The Drug Enforcement Administration, Rockwall County Sheriff’s Department, Rockwall Police Department, Garland Police Department, Hunt County Sheriff’s Office, and Flower Mound Police Department all conducted investigations into the matter. The Texas Department of Public Safety provided special assistance with the execution of the search warrant. Assistant US Attorney George Leal prosecuted the case.
