United States Drug Enforcement Administration

DALLAS, TX - A top source of supply in the Carrollton juvenile fentanyl case – which has resulted in at least 14 juvenile overdoses, four of them fatal – has been federally charged, announced DEA Special Agent in Charge Eduardo A. Chávez.

Julio Gonzalez, Jr., 18, was charged via criminal complaint on July 14 with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. He was arrested at his residence on Thursday and made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Renee Harris Toliver on Friday morning.

His roommate, 19-year-old Adrian Martinez-Leon, was also arrested Thursday and subsequently charged via criminal complaint with drug conspiracy. He, too, made his initial appearance before Magistrate Judge Toliver on Friday. 

During a search of their residence, DEA agents found thousands of fentanyl-laced M-30 pills stuffed in the microwave, a partial kilogram of cocaine tucked in a plastic food storage container, bulk U.S. currency hidden in the closet, and numerous firearms, including a pistol equipped with an illegal Glock switch, littered throughout the home.

“These arrests demonstrate the continued resolve of DEA Dallas to investigate this organization to the fullest extent possible,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Eduardo A. Chávez.  “Local street dealers, transporters, bulk suppliers, and anyone in between should know DEA Dallas is still committed to holding everyone in this organization, and others like it, accountable for selling fentanyl to our communities.”

“Another domino has fallen in the Carrollton juvenile fentanyl overdose saga,” said U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton. “Rest assured, the Justice Department will not stop until their entire fentanyl trafficking infrastructure has been dismantled. Our kids’ futures are too important to allow this to continue. “

According to the complaint, in February 2023, a 16-year-old dealer who delivered the fentanyl pills that killed a 14-year-old girl in December 2022 allegedly identified Mr. Gonzalez, whom he called “J-Money,” as his supplier.  In text messages, the child discussed “J-Money” with Eduardo Navarrete, one of the first dealers charged in the scheme. They identified “J-Money” as their “plug,” street parlance for a source of supply.

At least four other cooperating defendants also allegedly identified “J-Money” as their source of supply and tied him to an address in Dallas’ Oak Cliff neighborhood. Three of the cooperating defendants immediately identified a photograph of Mr. Gonzales as the man they knew as “J-Money.” One admitted to agents that the thousands of pills sold during a DEA controlled purchase operation were sourced by Mr. Gonzales. Instagram messages between Mr. Gonzales and the defendants negotiating pill prices and quantities corroborated these accounts.

In June 2023, agents surveilling Mr. Gonzales observed him allegedly conduct a hand-to-hand drug transaction with a subject who then ducked into a nearby alleyway, crushed the pills, and smoked them.  They also observed his roommate, Mr. Martinez-Leon, allegedly conduct a hand-to-hand transaction with a subject outside their front door. 

Mr. Gonzales and Mr. Martinez-Leon are the ninth and tenth defendants charged in the wake of the Carrollton overdoses, which have claimed the lives of four middle and high school students to date. To date, five have pleaded guilty.

A complaint is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

If convicted, Mr. Gonzales and Mr. Martinez-Leon will face up to 40 years in federal prison.

The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Office, the Dallas Police Department’s SWAT team, and the Carrollton Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rick Calvert and Phelesa Guy are prosecuting the case.

Note: Illicitly produced, fentanyl-laced pills often look similar to legitimate prescription pills like Oxycontin or Percocet, but can pose significantly more danger. On the street, these pills are often referred to as “M30s” (a reference to the markings on some of the pills), “blues,” “perks,” “yerks,” “china girls,” or “TNT.” DEA research shows that six out of ten pills laced with fentanyl contain a potentially lethal dose. One pill can kill. For resources, visit https://www.dea.gov/onepill.