Roberto Rivera, 36, of Arlington, was sentenced to 30 years in prison by a Tarrant County court on September 18, 2024, after being found guilty of manufacturing and delivering between four and 200 grams of fentanyl. Rivera’s conviction followed a June 2022 traffic stop that led to the discovery of multiple controlled substances and a firearm in his possession.
On June 27, 2022, an Arlington Police officer pulled Rivera over after noticing that his vehicle was not staying within a single lane of traffic. Due to suspicion of impaired driving, the officer requested backup. As additional units arrived, officers detected the smell of marijuana coming from the vehicle, which led to a search.
During the search, officers found vape cartridges, $1,200 in cash, cocaine, methamphetamine, and a significant quantity of fentanyl. They also discovered a fully loaded handgun in the vehicle. Rivera was taken into custody on the scene and charged with multiple offenses, including drug possession and trafficking.
The Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney's Office built its case with Assistant District Attorneys Kobe Landry and Michael Ferry leading the prosecution. ADA investigator Sean Wheetley provided crucial support during the investigation and trial. The conviction and lengthy sentence are part of a broader effort to combat the distribution of fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid that the DEA reports is approximately 100 times more potent than morphine.
Fentanyl is classified as a Schedule II controlled substance, typically prescribed to treat patients with severe pain but is often illegally distributed and involved in overdose deaths. Rivera's arrest and subsequent conviction highlight ongoing law enforcement efforts to curb fentanyl trafficking in North Texas.
