Woman only sentenced to 20 months for fentanyl overdose deaths of 4 North Texas teens

A woman who confessed to selling pills containing fentanyl, resulting in the deaths of several teenagers, has been sentenced to prison.

On Wednesday morning, Magaly Mejía Cano learned her fate nearly a year after pleading guilty to one count of distributing a controlled substance to a person under 21 years of age.

U.S. District Judge Ed Kinkeade handed down a 20-month prison sentence to the convicted fentanyl distributor. However, Mejía Cano will be released later this year as she will receive credit for the 13 months she has already served behind bars.

Mejía Cano and her boyfriend, Luis Navarrete, were apprehended at their Carrollton residence on Highland Drive in February 2023.

Lilia Astudillo expressed disappointment with the judge’s ruling. “It’s not enough time,” she said in Spanish.

Astudillo’s son, José Pérez, was one of three Carrollton-Farmers Branch students fatally poisoned by fentanyl-laced pills. Nine other minors overdosed and survived. According to investigators with the DEA Dallas Division Field Office, the illicit pills were distributed from the Carrollton couple’s home, situated near R.L. Turner High School.

“Anytime there’s a loss of life as a result of illicit fentanyl, we take that very seriously,” stated Eduardo Chavez, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Special Agent in charge of the Dallas Field Division.

Chavez emphasized the importance of holding individuals accountable for their actions, regardless of the length of their prison sentences.

In court, Mejía Cano apologized to the affected families, admitting her actions were selfish. “She knew what she was doing to make a living. She wanted money,” remarked Ruben Peña, who became an advocate against narcotics after being directly impacted in an unrelated case.

Wednesday’s outcome underscores the ongoing battle against fentanyl, according to Peña. “20 months is not enough,” he asserted. “They have to be held accountable. I mean, the sentence is way too low.”

Before concluding the proceedings, Judge Kinkeade advised Mejía Cano to choose her partners more carefully. He recommended that she be assigned to the Federal Prison Camp in Bryan, which offers various programs to inmates.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is significantly more potent than heroin and morphine. Just two milligrams of fentanyl, equivalent to 10-15 grains of table salt, can be lethal. Without proper laboratory testing, the concentration of fentanyl in a pill or powder cannot be determined. If encountering fentanyl in any form, individuals are advised not to handle it and to call 911 immediately.

Rainbow fentanyl, which comes in various bright colors and shapes, is a disturbing trend that has emerged nationwide. The DEA warns that every color, shape, and size of fentanyl should be considered extremely dangerous.