Texas man arrested for selling fentanyl-laced pills that led to someone’s death

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Authorities arrested Ricardo Julyan Kross Rios, a 21-year-old Corpus Christi resident, March 23 at his residence in Corpus Christi for delivery of fentanyl resulting in death and possession of fentanyl with the intent to distribute.

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Corpus Christi participated in the Drug Enforcement Administration-led investigation along with the Jim Wells County Sheriff’s Office and police departments in Corpus Christi, Aransas Pass and Mathis.

Rios was charged after a federal grand jury in Corpus Christi returned a two-count indictment on March 22. The indictment alleges that on Dec. 9, 2022, Rios possessed and delivered a substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl, the use of which resulted in the death of a person.

If convicted of distributing fentanyl causing death, Rios faces up to life in prison and a fine of up to $1 million. If convicted of possession of fentanyl with the intent to distribute, Rios faces a 20-year maximum sentence.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert D. Thorpe Jr. is prosecuting this case.

For more news and information on HSI’s efforts to aggressively investigate narcotics trafficking in Southeast Texas follow us on Twitter @HSIHouston.

HSI is the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, specifically those criminal organizations that exploit the global infrastructure through which international trade, travel, and finance move. HSI’s workforce of more than 8,700 employees consists of more than 6,000 special agents assigned to 237 cities throughout the United States, and 93 overseas locations in 56 countries. HSI’s international presence represents DHS’s largest investigative law enforcement presence abroad and one of the largest international footprints in U.S. law enforcement.

An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.