An El Paso man was sentenced to more than 15 years in federal prison after a woman he sold fentanyl pills to overdosed on the drug, authorities said.
U.S. District Judge Leon Schydlower sentenced Isaiah Rene Acosta, 28, to 15 years plus eight months in prison on one count of distribution of a controlled substance causing a death, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas Justin R. Simmons announced in a news release.
A U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration photo of a plastic bag containing hundreds of fentanyl-laced pills.
“Substance abuse in our communities — particularly fentanyl abuse — has been a persistent problem that has affected so many Americans. It’s important that we stay engaged and continue to find and prosecute dealers like this to curtail the flow of illegal and harmful substances on our streets,” Simmons said in a statement. “The investigation and successful prosecution of these cases let the American people know that their government is working to make this country a place where Americans cannot just survive but thrive.”
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Acosta was also sentenced to five years of supervised release after he serves his prison term.
The sentencing took place on Tuesday, Feb. 10, at the Albert Armendariz Sr. Federal Courthouse in Downtown El Paso. He pleaded guilty to the charge on Nov. 18.
“This case serves as a stern warning to other drug dealers,” DEA’s El Paso Division Special Agent in Charge Omar Arellano said in a statement. “If the drugs you sell kill someone, the DEA will investigate, build a case against you, and see that you face the consequences. As part of Fentanyl Free America, the men and women of the DEA are committed to protecting and supporting the communities we serve.”
Fentanyl pills lead to woman’s death
Acosta sold three counterfeit M-30 pills containing fentanyl to a woman, who is not named in court documents, on July 16, 2021.
The woman “purchased the pills on behalf of herself and another person,” the news release states. Acosta advertised drugs he was selling in Snapchat photos, according to testimony from a Feb. 27, 2025, detention hearing.
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The woman who purchased the drugs and another woman, who is only identified as A.L.M. in court documents, took the drugs.
The buyer woke up and found A.L.M. cold to the touch and unresponsive, according to court testimony. Another person started CPR, which was continued by paramedics who arrived at the scene. A.L.M. was taken by ambulance to Las Palmas Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.
U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents took on the investigation after being alerted by the El Paso Police Department that a woman died overnight on July 16-17, 2021, from a fentanyl overdose.
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An investigation determined A.L.M. “would not have died but for acute intoxication of fentanyl,” the news release states. The investigation also found that Acosta sold fentanyl pills and marijuana to the women on more than one occasion.
Acosta admitted to DEA agents that he sold the pills and knew about A.L.M.’s death, according to El Paso Times archives.
Acosta was indicted on one count of distribution of a controlled substance, causing death or serious bodily injury on Feb. 5, 2025, in the Western District of Texas in El Paso. He was arrested on Feb. 21, 2025. He remained jailed as his case was pending, court records show.
Aaron Martinez covers the criminal justice system for the El Paso Times. He may be reached at amartinez1@elpasotimes.com.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: El Paso man gets 15 years in federal prison in fentanyl overdose death