Two Dallas residents have been sentenced to more than 15 years in federal prison for distributing tens of thousands of fentanyl pills valued at over $600,000, announced Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Nancy E. Larson.
Christle Nadia Ruiz, 22, and Ricardo Antonio Flores, 29, both of Dallas, pled guilty in October 2024 to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. On June 26, 2025, U.S. District Judge Karen Gren Scholer sentenced each of them to 188 months in federal prison.
According to court records, Ruiz and Flores had been living together at a residence on Ezekiel Avenue in Dallas, where they distributed fentanyl. In February and March 2023, Flores delivered 1,000 fentanyl pills on each occasion in exchange for $2,000 per delivery.
In April 2023, Ruiz received a shipment of approximately 50,000 fentanyl pills, which she and Flores intended to distribute. While agents executed a search warrant at the residence, Ruiz attempted to flush some of the fentanyl pills down the toilet.
Federal agents testified that about three to four weeks before the search warrant, Ruiz had also received an earlier shipment of approximately 10,000 pills. Investigators stated she used a social media account containing the phrases “Happy vibes . . . Thug Paradise” to advertise fentanyl for sale.
The Drug Enforcement Administration estimates the street value of a single fentanyl pill at $10, making the total value of the 60,000 pills approximately $600,000.
The investigation was led by the DEA, with assistance from the Rockwall County Sheriff’s Department, Rockwall Police Department, Garland Police Department, Hunt County Sheriff’s Office, and Flower Mound Police Department. The Texas Department of Public Safety provided support during the search warrant execution. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney George Leal.
