Clinton J. Johnson U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Oklahoma
A Mexican national has been sentenced in a U.S. federal court for his involvement in a drug conspiracy and attempted possession of methamphetamine. U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson announced that the defendant, Luis Enrique Rios-Soriano, 25, received a sentence of 140 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release as decided by U.S. District Judge John D. Russell.
The events leading to Rios-Soriano’s sentencing began in June 2024 when Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) troopers stopped a vehicle for traffic violations. Upon searching the vehicle, they found a suitcase containing 21 plastic bags filled with what appeared to be methamphetamine. The investigation revealed the driver was being paid $4,000 to transport the methamphetamine to Tulsa.
Subsequent testing by Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents confirmed the substance was indeed methamphetamine. In a strategic move, DEA agents replaced the methamphetamine with a fake substitute and allowed the driver to proceed with the delivery.
The driver later rendezvoused with Luis Enrique Rios-Soriano and Morgan Ashley Kirby, 20, to receive payment and hand over the fake methamphetamine for distribution. Oklahoma Highway Patrol officers later stopped the vehicle driven by Rios-Soriano, with Kirby as a passenger. During the search, officers found more than 46 pounds of fake methamphetamine and cash on the floorboard of the vehicle's passenger side.
Court documents revealed that Rios-Soriano had admitted to conspiring with others to profit from distributing and selling methamphetamine. Kirby, Rios-Soriano’s co-defendant, was convicted in February for her role in the conspiracy and now awaits sentencing.
Rios-Soriano will remain in custody until he is transferred to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. The case was investigated by members of the DEA from the Tulsa and Amarillo resident offices, along with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol and Texas DPS. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam Bailey and Christian Harris led the prosecution.
