Spokane, Washington – Ricardo Cantu, aged 26, was sentenced to 108 months in prison for drug trafficking charges, as announced by Acting United States Attorney Richard Barker. United States District Judge Mary K. Dimke also imposed four years of supervised release as part of the sentencing.
Court documents and information from the sentencing hearing revealed that the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) identified Cantu as a supply source for methamphetamine and fentanyl-laced pills in September 2023. He was distributing large amounts in the Tri-Cities area with help from co-defendants Julio Gaspar Iniguez, Veronica Martinez, and Daniel Mora.
During two controlled transactions between September and October 2023, the DEA purchased nearly two pounds of methamphetamine and over 3,041 fentanyl pills from Cantu and Gaspar. Both Cantu and Mora were armed during these transactions.
A search warrant executed on December 7, 2023, revealed that Cantu, along with another individual, was smoking fentanyl in the garage of his residence. As a result, both law enforcement and children in the home were exposed to the substance's fumes.
Further searches of Cantu's home unveiled 10,000 fentanyl-laced pills inside a child's Hello Kitty bag, 2,000 additional pills, a digital scale, and a stolen Glock firearm in the bedroom closet. The garage search uncovered 1,500 more fentanyl pills and additional distribution materials.
Agents also searched Gaspar’s home, finding five pounds of marijuana and a firearm linked to shootings in the Yakima Valley. In Gaspar’s Jeep, a loaded pistol was discovered in the console.
On March 26, 2025, Gaspar pleaded guilty to drug trafficking, with sentencing scheduled for 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."
David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division, added, "Mr. Cantu put the entire community at risk by trafficking fentanyl and methamphetamine while armed."
The investigation was conducted by the DEA and the case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Van Marter.
