South Texas dealer handed prison sentence for selling fentanyl to teenager resulting in death

Press Release

LAREDO, Texas - A 23-year-old resident of Laredo has been sentenced for providing fentanyl to a 15-year-old, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

Jose Antonio Carlos III aka Jose Carlos pleaded guilty Jan. 4, 2014, to distributing fentanyl resulting in death.

U.S. District Judge Lee Rosenthal has now ordered Carlos to serve 240 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. Carlos was also ordered to pay $5,400 in restitution. In handing down the sentence, the court noted how sad the facts of the case were and that the individual who died was only 15 years old.

"This case represents the tragic consequences of fentanyl's infiltration into communities nationwide, a crisis that continues to devastate families, overwhelm healthcare systems and claim lives at an alarming rate," said Hamdani. "By addressing the sources and networks that distribute this lethal substance, we aim to disrupt the cycle of devastation and send a clear message: those who endanger public safety for personal gain will face justice."

On May 17, 2023, authorities responded to an overdose call at a home in Laredo. Once on scene, they found the victim laying in his bed unresponsive and holding a rolled-up dollar bill with a white powder on it. The white powder later tested positive for fentanyl. A toxicology report and autopsy confirmed the cause of death to be fentanyl toxicity.

The investigation revealed text messages which showed the victim wanting to buy "pase" from Carlos. "Pase" was code for cocaine. Carlos indicated the price and provided an address off Longoria Loop.

On the evening of May 16, 2023, an individual drove the victim to that address. There, a person later identified as Carlos handed the victim a small baggie with a white powder inside it. The driver then dropped off the victim at his home, a home he shared with his aunt.

The next morning, the victim's aunt heard her nephew's phone ringing. She thought the victim overslept, so she knocked on his door but heard no response. She then tried to open the door to the victim's bedroom but was unable to, so she climbed in through one of the bedroom windows.

Once inside the room, she noticed her nephew lying face down on the bed. When she touched him, his body was stiff and cold. Law enforcement responded to the residence and pronounced the victim dead on-scene.

As part of his guilty plea, Carlos admitted to selling "pase" to the victim. He also acknowledged sending a text to the victim May 17, 2023, asking "What's up was it good or no[?]."

Carlos will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

The Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, Customs and Border Protection, Border Patrol, Laredo Police Department and Webb County Sheriff's Office conducted the investigation with assistance from the Webb County Medical Examiner. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian Bajew and Leslie Cortez prosecuted the case.

This case was prosecuted as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF is the largest anti-crime task force in the country. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found on the Department of Justice's OCDETF webpage.

More information on the dangers of fentanyl can be found on the DEA's website. #OnePillCanKill

Updated January 15, 2025