A Dallas resident has been sentenced to a decade in federal prison for her role in methamphetamine trafficking within the Eastern District of Texas, according to an announcement from U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Samantha Mendoza, 35, admitted guilt to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. On March 4, 2026, U.S. District Judge Amos L. Mazzant III sentenced her to 120 months in federal custody.
Court records show that federal agents began investigating a Mexico-based drug trafficking organization operating in North Texas in 2021. The investigation resulted in the seizure of various narcotics including methamphetamine, cocaine, fentanyl, heroin, as well as firearms and significant sums of cash. On December 15, 2022, agents observed Mendoza handing over a weighted package to another individual. A subsequent search at her residence led authorities to seize 950 grams of methamphetamine, three firearms, drug ledgers, supplies for converting methamphetamine, and more than $85,000.
Officials stated that this prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159: Protecting the American People Against Invasion. According to the release: "The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States."
The Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation into Mendoza’s activities while Assistant U.S. Attorney Wes Wynne prosecuted the case.
