Two Mexican Nationals Sentenced for Working with Cartels to Distribute Fentanyl

TULSA, Okla. - Two Mexican nationals were sentenced for working with the cartel to distribute drugs around Tulsa, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.

Today, U.S. District Judge Rodney W. Sippel sentenced Ventura Rivera Arteaga, 41, for Drug Conspiracy and Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. He was ordered to 46 months imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release.

Rivera Arteaga's co-defendant, Ruben Amador Meza Medina, 21, pleaded guilty to Drug Conspiracy in November 2025. He was previously sentenced to 46 months' imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release.

Agents were investigating the distribution of fentanyl in the Tulsa area and executed a search warrant on a home in east Tulsa. Inside the home, agents found a large quantity of fentanyl, more than $25,000 in cash, digital scales, and cellphones. The defendants admitted that they worked with each other and others within the cartel to package and distribute fentanyl throughout Tulsa. Meza Medina told agents that he came into the United States seeking employment, but distributed drugs instead. When Rivera Arteaga entered the United States, he met up with Meza Medina to help distribute fentanyl. Both defendants admitted that they were unlawfully inside the United States, and court documents show that Rivera Arteaga was previously removed in 2024.

Both defendants will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons and are expected to face removal proceedings after being released from prison.

The Tulsa Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration Tulsa Resident Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Niko Boulieris prosecuted the case.