West Texas brings first-ever murder charges in fentanyl-related death case

EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — In a groundbreaking move, Eric Robles has been indicted on Texas state charges of murder and manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance in connection with the fentanyl-related death of Jesus Hernandez.

The indictment, issued on April 3, marks the first time the El Paso District Attorney's Office has charged murder in relation to fentanyl distribution resulting in death in West Texas.

Robles, who was nearing the completion of an unrelated federal drug sentence, was transferred to the custody of the El Paso County Sheriff's Office on April 23.

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration's El Paso Fentanyl Overdose Response Team, a collaborative initiative involving multiple law enforcement agencies.

The ability to bring the state charge of murder gives the DEA another tool in our belt," said Omar Arellano, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s El Paso Division. "Drug dealers even considering setting up shop in Texas need to keep that in mind.

The charges come in the wake of Texas House Bill 6, which classifies the act of supplying fentanyl resulting in death as murder.

This legislative change was prompted by the rising number of fentanyl-related fatalities across the state.

“We conduct these investigations very thoroughly and we find the people who deal these drugs and we do charge them,” said Jeffery Castillo, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of FORT in El Paso's fentanyl overdose response team.

It was created in May of 2022 in response to the surging number of fentanyl overdose deaths in El Paso.

“The fentanyl overdose response team is on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week to respond, to go help out our partner agencies in these types of investigations," said Castillo.

While this is the first FORT case to be indicted on Texas state charges, the DEA's El Paso Division has previously handled 10 federally-charged cases resulting in the sentencing of 10 individuals for distribution causing death.

These individuals received a combined total of 152 years in federal prison without parole.

Sheriff Oscar Ugarte provided the following statement following the indictment:

The indictment handed down in this case marks a historic and necessary step forward in the fight against the fentanyl epidemic that continues to devastate our community and families across Texas. The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office is proud to be part of the DEA’s Fentanyl Overdose Response Team and to work alongside our local, state, and federal partners to ensure drug traffickers are held fully accountable. We will not tolerate the distribution of fentanyl in our community—and we will continue using every legal tool available to bring justice for victims and their families. Our message is clear: if your actions result in death, you will be charged accordingly.

RECOMMENDED:Wanted man with multiple felony warrants arrested in multi-agency Las Cruces operation

Sign up to receive the top interesting stories from in and around our community once daily in your inbox.