An Arizona woman and a Dallas man received lengthy federal prison sentences for their roles in the fentanyl overdose death of a Flower Mound teen in August 2023.

U.S. District Judge Amos L. Mazzant III sentenced Pamela Esquivias, 25, of Maricopa, Arizona, to 262 months, nearly 22 years, in federal prison on Thursday, Sept. 17, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Texas. Aaron Jay Perez, 29, of Dallas, received 120 months, or 10 years. Both pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.

The sentences follow an investigation into the death of a 16-year-old girl who ingested counterfeit oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl. Her name has not been publicly released.

Court information showed that investigators traced the supply chain from the Flower Mound girl's death back to Esquivias, also known as Azalea, the Cross Timbers Gazette reported. She distributed hundreds of thousands of blue M-30 fentanyl tablets from Arizona to multiple states, including Texas.

Perez served as the local distributor in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Prosecutors alleged he trafficked fentanyl, marijuana and cocaine in addition to the counterfeit pills tied to the teen's death.

U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs announced the sentences. The case was prosecuted as part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative, which targets criminal cartels and transnational criminal organizations operating in the United States. The Justice Department said the task force places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting crimes involving children.

The sentencing comes more than three years after the girl's death and as Flower Mound residents have rallied around fentanyl awareness. A Walk for Lives event in July 2026 brought together families affected by fentanyl poisoning, healthcare workers and public safety leaders, as reported by the Cross Timbers Gazette.

Denton County recognizes North Texas Overdose Awareness Day each August.