Man Sentenced for Fentanyl Distribution Leading to Death

A Laredo man has been sentenced to over two decades in federal prison for his role in a fentanyl distribution scheme that resulted in a fatal overdose. Rene Antonio Melendez, 34, was sentenced to 252 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release, the U.S. Attorney's Office announced.

Melendez pleaded guilty on June 29 to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, a charge stemming from an incident on March 11, 2023. On that day, law enforcement responded to a report of an unresponsive man at a hotel in Laredo. The victim's friend informed authorities that the man had consumed a substance known as "White China" and subsequently stopped breathing. A baggie containing fentanyl was found in the hotel room, and the medical examiner later confirmed that the victim died from acute fentanyl toxicity.

According to the investigation, the victim had arranged to purchase $80 worth of drugs through Melendez. Text messages revealed that Melendez directed the victim to a location off San Bernardo Avenue to meet an unknown individual for the drug transaction. Cellphone records, witness interviews, and historical cell-site data confirmed Melendez's involvement in supplying the fentanyl.

Later that day, Melendez sent a text message to the victim inquiring about the drugs. Shortly after, the victim's friend called 911 to report that the victim was not breathing.

Melendez has been in custody since his arrest and will remain so until he is transferred to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U. S. Attorney Leslie Ann Cortez as part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative.

Established by Executive Order 14159, the HSTF is a comprehensive government partnership aimed at dismantling criminal cartels, foreign gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. The task force places a special emphasis on crimes involving children and utilizes all available resources to prosecute and remove violent criminal aliens from the United States.

The HSTF South Texas includes agents and officers from multiple federal agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, U. S. Marshals Service, U.

S. Postal Inspection Service, Department of Transportation, IRS Criminal Investigation, Interpol/Department of State, and Naval Criminal Investigative Service, with the U. S.

Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas leading the prosecution.