SPOKANE, WA — A Tri-Cities man has been sentenced to over nine years in federal prison for his role in a drug trafficking operation involving fentanyl and methamphetamine.

On April 18, Acting United States Attorney Richard Barker announced that United States District Judge Mary K. Dimke sentenced 26-year-old Ricardo Cantu to 108 months in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release.

According to court records and information presented during sentencing, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) began investigating Cantu in September 2023. Authorities determined that Cantu was supplying large quantities of fentanyl-laced pills and methamphetamine in the Tri-Cities area, working with several co-defendants including Julio Gaspar Iniguez, Veronica Martinez, and Daniel Mora.

Between September and October 2023, the DEA conducted two controlled drug purchases from Cantu and Gaspar, recovering nearly two pounds of methamphetamine and more than 3,000 fentanyl-laced pills. Cantu and Mora were reportedly armed during both transactions.

On December 7, 2023, DEA agents executed a search warrant at Cantu’s residence. At the time of the search, Cantu and another man were found smoking fentanyl in the garage, exposing both law enforcement and children inside the home to the drug’s fumes. Agents found approximately 10,000 fentanyl-laced pills in a child’s Hello Kitty bag in Cantu’s bedroom, along with 2,000 more pills, a digital scale, and a loaded Glock firearm in the closet. An additional 1,500 fentanyl pills and distribution materials were recovered from the garage.

A separate search at Gaspar’s home led to the recovery of five pounds of marijuana, a loaded 9mm firearm linked to two Yakima Valley shootings, and a loaded “ghost gun.” A loaded pistol was also discovered in the center console of Gaspar’s Jeep.

Gaspar pleaded guilty to related drug charges on March 26, 2025, and is scheduled to be sentenced on June 25, 2025, in Spokane.

The case was investigated by the DEA and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Van Marter.