Man Jailed For Fentanyl Stuffed in Kid’s Teddy Bear

A Dallas drug trafficker has been sentenced to just over eight years in federal prison after hiding fentanyl pills inside his child’s stuffed toy bear.
Jorge Miguel Arteaga Medina pleaded guilty in February to possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute and was sentenced on August 20 to 97 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Ada Brown.
During the sentencing hearing, the evidence consisted of photographs of the pills stuffed in the child’s toy, as well as posters in his home glorifying “Santa Muerte,” a figure associated with drug trafficking.
The skeletal Santa Muerte is seen as a patron saint by many drug traffickers. However, not all believers engage in criminal activities.
Arteaga Medina was charged via criminal complaint last April and was indicted later that month. The 23-year-old was arrested following an investigation where he admitted to possessing thousands of fentanyl pills.
Some of the deadly narcotics were held in Arteaga Medina’s bedroom closet, and the remainder were concealed in his child’s stuffed bear.
Arteaga Medina had sourced the fentanyl pills from Mexico and sold them in the Dallas area, according to U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
A statement by the Department of Justice said a confidential source bought 171 grams of fentanyl pills from Arteaga Medina.
During the meeting, which was recorded, the defendant told the source to get in touch if they needed more fentanyl pills.
Authorities said that the confidential source contacted Arteaga Medina to buy more drugs in April 2023.
Arteaga Medina said he had around 3,000 pills but would need to contact his superior in Mexico for more supply.
Agents then informed Arteaga Medina about the investigation against him.
The drug trafficker admitted having pills in his apartment, as well as a Smith & Wesson handgun strapped to his chest.
The fentanyl trafficker brought the agents to his apartment, where his wife and child lived, and showed them the pills.
It comes after two people were arrested after authorities seized 276,000 fentanyl pills during an I-5 traffic stop in Oregon.
In July, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers discovered over 70 pounds of blue fentanyl pills worth more than $5,000,000 concealed within the spare tire of a truck in California.
Meanwhile, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will recognize National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day on August 21.
The DEA Museum will feature The Faces of Fentanyl exhibition to commemorate the lives lost to fentanyl.
According to the DEA, traffickers use pill presses to press fentanyl into pills and punches and dies to imprint markings and logos that look like everyday medication.
In 2023, the DEA seized over 79 million fake pills containing fentanyl; this was a 33 percent increase compared to the previous year.
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