Spokane, Washington – United States District Judge Mary K. Dimke sentenced Ricardo Cantu, 26, to 108 months in prison for drug trafficking charges. The court also imposed four years of supervised release, according to the announcement made by Acting United States Attorney Richard Barker.
Court documents revealed that in September 2023, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) identified Cantu as a source of methamphetamine and fentanyl-laced pills, which he distributed widely in the Tri-Cities area. Assisted by co-defendants Julio Gaspar Iniguez, Veronica Martinez, and Daniel Mora, Cantu distributed large quantities of drugs.
The DEA conducted two controlled purchases from Cantu and Gaspar between September and October 2023, obtaining nearly two pounds of methamphetamine and over 3,041 fentanyl pills. During these transactions, Cantu and Mora were carrying firearms.
A search warrant executed at Cantu's residence on December 7, 2023, found Cantu and another man smoking fentanyl in the garage, exposing law enforcement and children inside the home to harmful fumes. Agents discovered 10,000 fentanyl-laced pills in a Hello Kitty bag in Cantu's bedroom, along with 2,000 more pills, a digital scale, and a stolen Glock firearm in his closet. In the garage, agents uncovered another 1,500 fentanyl pills and three digital scales.
At Gaspar’s home, agents recovered five pounds of marijuana, a loaded 9mm firearm linked to two Yakima Valley shootings, and a Ghost gun with a loaded magazine. A loaded pistol was also found in Gaspar’s Jeep. Gaspar pleaded guilty to drug trafficking on March 26, 2025, and will be sentenced on June 25, 2025, in Spokane.
“Distributing and using fentanyl and methamphetamine in our communities – especially in places where children are present – is both reckless and deeply dangerous,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Richard Barker. “Mr. Cantu not only trafficked deadly narcotics but did so while armed and in the presence of children, putting lives at risk. I commend the DEA and our law enforcement partners for their work in removing these dangerous drugs and firearms from Eastern Washington communities.”
David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division, remarked, “Mr. Cantu put the entire community at risk by trafficking fentanyl and methamphetamine while armed. This sentence conveys the seriousness of the danger Mr. Cantu posed to law enforcement and other members of the community poised to get caught in the crossfire of his drug trafficking enterprise.”
The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Van Marter.