A total of three fentanyl distributors are now behind bars for their alleged connection to as many as 10 fentanyl overdoses and three deaths in Carrollton. The latest defendant is a former student at R.L. Turner High School.
22-year-old, Jason Xavier Villanueva has been identified as the top supplier of defendants Luis Navarrete and Magaly Mejia Cano, the couple arrested on Feb. 3. Villanueva was arrested Tuesday and is charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance.
Navarrete and Mejia Cano were charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances last week and remain detained pending trial.
Jessica Sixtos, a 2019 R.L. Turner High School graduate, said she was shocked to see the mugshots of two former classmates.
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“I know Navarrete from high school. I had classes with him,” Sixtos said. “The other guy that was just arrested, (Villanueva) I just saw him in the hallways.”
Sixtos said she never noticed anything unusual about the pair.
“I thought they were just, like, regular kids,” Sixtos said.
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According to federal agents, Navarrete admitted he was supplied fentanyl-laced pills marked as “M-30” by a teen dealer supplied by Villanueva. Villanueva allegedly directly transacted with some of the teenage dealers.
Federal agents stated Villanueva initially locked down deals under his username "Hoodhxavi2." He used that same account to post pictures of bulk amounts of blue pills inscribed with "M-30".
Messages obtained by federal investigators as recent as Jan. 5 show an exchange between a teen dealer asking Villanueva for 500 “M-30” pills for $1,000. Villanueva agreed to the request replying "bet."
According to the investigators' statement in the criminal complaint, “(They) learned in early February 2023, Villanueva started using a different social media username on the same platform.”
The criminal complaint details Villanueva posted an "obvious response" to the federal investigation just days before his arrest. The picture posted on one of his social media accounts shows the front end of a red vehicle with black highlighted text that reads, “Only thing that’s gonna stop us is feds.”
Authorities once again urge parents to monitor their child's social media accounts as drug dealers often use code words.
“If you see the same unusual words or emojis in your kids' texts, ask questions. (It) could be slang for various drugs,” United States Attorney, Leigha Simonton said in a press conference Wednesday.
Daisy Palomo, Associate Pastor at North Dallas Family Church, wants to help parents address the issue.
“It's a tragic situation here in our city, but this isn't a new problem,” Palomo said. “From my personal experience, I feel that parent involvement is very much necessary, especially in these days.”
Palomo helps lead RESH 180 classes at R.L. Turner and Ranchview High School. RESH 180 stands for Raising Expectation Standards & Honor and focuses on character development.
“The teens that I deal with, they're real people. They're just miniature versions of people trying to figure out their lives,” Palomo said. “We have so much involvement, but if we can get the parents who are in these children's lives, you know, day in and day out, if they can just ask those hard questions, I think we can start to make a dent in this issue.”
Palomo said she, along with her husband, are passionate about helping youth in their community.
“We grew up in Oak Cliff, you know, in Dallas, Texas, and went to Sunset High School,” Palomo said. “And I always wonder how I would have been different or turned out differently if someone would have poured into me the way I'm trying to do today.”
Since the arrests were brought to light almost two weeks ago, Palomo has worked to plan a candlelight vigil.
“We will have several community leaders here, several parents who have lost children to this fentanyl issue, and also just praying and reaching out to those families and letting them know they're not alone,” Palomo said. “It's a bad thing that our city is brought to light in this way, but if it has to come out, then we need to address it.”
The candlelight vigil will be held inside North Dallas Family Church’s gymnasium Friday, Feb. 17, at 7:30 p.m.
“Fentanyl is the new epidemic. It's targeting our children,” Palomo said. “I just ask for people to come out (Friday) to the prayer vigil to (learn about) the issue. It's a hard truth to tell, but it's there and we need to address it.”
