Titus County drug trafficker convicted of supplying deadly fentanyl-laced pills

TYLER, Texas - A Mount Pleasant man has been found guilty of federal drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.

Jaquavion Markeith Veasley, 36, was found guilty by a jury of five counts of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl resulting in death or serious bodily injury. The verdict was reached on February 4, 2026, following a three-day trial before U.S. District Judge Jeremy D. Kernodle.

According to information presented in court, beginning in 2023, Veasley conspired with others to distribute illegal narcotics that he knew to be laced with fentanyl resulting in the death of at least two individuals.

"The law designates illicit fentanyl as a narcotic, but illicit fentanyl is also a weapon of mass destruction," said U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs. "Veasley's greed turned the fentanyl he sold into a deadly weapon which destroyed two lives and forever altered the lives of the victims' families. In the Eastern District of Texas, we cherish our duty to defend this great nation and its citizens. Those who spread this poison in our communities should be on notice that we will not stand for it."

"This conviction underscores that federal drug trafficking is not a victimless crime, it is inherently violent and deadly," said the Special Agent in Charge Brian Garner of ATF's Dallas Field Division. "The distribution of fentanyl fuels addiction, drives violent crime, and destroys families and communities. ATF will continue to work alongside our federal, state, and local partners to target those who traffic in these lethal substances and hold them fully accountable under federal law."

"The Mount Pleasant Police Department is committed to actively pursuing those responsible for causing the deaths of others through the distribution of narcotics," said Chief of Police Mark Buhman. "We are thankful for the support of our fellow partners in law enforcement and the U.S. Attorney's Office for their work in holding Veasley accountable."

At sentencing, Veasley faces at least 20 years and up to life in federal prison. The statutory sentencing range prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.

This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Texas Department of Public Safety; and the Mount Pleasant Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lucas Machicek and Emil Mikkelsen.

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