Mexican national sentenced for trafficking fentanyl in the Eastern District of Texas

PLANO, Texas - A Mexican drug trafficker was sentenced to over 26 years in federal prison for importing fentanyl for distribution in the United States, announced Eastern District of Texas Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.

Juan Manuel Navarette Robles, 49, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and was sentenced to 315 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Richard Schell on October 1, 2025.

According to information presented in court, Robles was a high-level source of supply for narcotics, mainly fentanyl and methamphetamine, from Mexico to the United States. Robles trained others and directed them in the distribution of drugs in the United States, primarily by using the mail and various "hubs" to receive packages for distribution into Texas and elsewhere. Robles eventually traveled to the United States where he was found in possession of large amounts of fentanyl.

This case was investigated and prosecuted by the Eastern District of Texas Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) as part of Operation Take Back America. HSTFs, which were established by President Trump in Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion, are joint operations led by the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide federal initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

This case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney William R. Tatum.

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