Texas man hides fentanyl in child's toy, faces nearly a decade in prison
A Dallas man was sentenced to over eight years in federal prison for trafficking fentanyl, including stashing the drugs inside his child’s stuffed bear, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas announced.
Jorge Miguel Arteaga Medina, 23, was sentenced to 97 months by U.S. District Judge Ada Brown after pleading guilty to possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute. His charges stem from a federal investigation that began in April 2023.
Arteaga Medina admitted to getting fentanyl pills from a supplier in Mexico, identified as "22," and selling them in the Dallas area. In February 2023, authorities say he sold 171 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant, and in April, he claimed to have approximately 3,000 pills on hand.
When federal agents confronted Arteaga Medina, he confessed to having a significant quantity of pills in his apartment. He led them to his home, where agents found the drugs hidden in a bedroom closet and inside a stuffed bear belonging to his child.
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Authorities say Jorge Miguel Arteaga Medina, 23, stashed fentanyl pills inside his child’s stuffed bear.(Photo: U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Texas)
At the sentencing, prosecutors presented photos of the fentanyl-laden bear and posters in Arteaga Medina’s home depicting "Santa Muerte," a figure often associated with drug dealers.
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The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Division led the investigation, with Assistant U.S. Attorney George Leal handling the prosecution.