Texas

Texas charges first fentanyl-related murder under new state law

Published

7 months ago

May 7, 2025

Texas charges first fentanyl-related murder under new state law

Eric Robles is officially the first ever individual indicted under stricter Texas state charges of murder and manufacture/delivery of fentanyl.

Texas House Bill 6, passed in 2023 in response to the rising number of fentanyl-related fatalities across the state, classifies the act of supplying fentanyl resulting in death as murder.

On April 23, 2025, approximately two weeks before completing his sentence on unrelated federal drug charges, Robles was transferred from the custody of the U.S. Bureau of Prisons to the custody of the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office.

“The ability to bring the state charge of murder gives the DEA another tool in our belt,” said OmarArellano, 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 first charge of its kind in Texas

The case was the first time the 34th Judicial District Attorney’s office charged murder as it relates to the distribution of fentanyl resulting in a death.

The Drug Enforcement Administration’s El Paso Fentanyl Overdose Response Team, or FORT, a West Texas High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area initiative, investigated the case. FORT is staffed by DEA, El Paso County Sheriff’s Office, Federal Bureau of Investigations, Department of Army Criminal Investigations Division, Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas National Guard, and the El Paso Police Department.

“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,” said El Paso County Sheriff Oscar Ugarte. “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.Although this is the first FORT case indicted on Texas state charges, the DEA’s El Paso Division has had a total of 10 federally charged cases which resulted in the sentencing of 10 individuals for distribution causing death.

“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,” Ugarte said.

The 10 individuals received a combined 152 years in federal prison without parole.

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Texas

Texas A&M is reportedly close to hiring its new defensive staffer

Published

2 hours ago

December 16, 2025

Press Room

Texas A&M is reportedly close to hiring its new defensive staffer

The staff shake-up continues amid CFP preparation, as Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko is reportedly adding another to his staff.

Soon after the news that the Aggies were expecting to hire former Arkansas defensive coordinator Travis Williams, Matt Zenitz of 247Sports reported that former Rutgers co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Zach Sparber would be added to the staff in some capacity. Sparber is very familiar with new Texas A&M DC Lyle Hemphill, having worked with him at JMU and Duke.

It is an interesting hire, as similar to Travis Williams, Sparber is also coming off a defensive staff that was let go after bottom-of-the-conference defensive performances. However, before joining the staff at Rutgers, he helped James Madison’s team rank 21st nationally in scoring defense as the linebackers coach. While his official role has not yet been announced, his experience with Hemphill should help with continuity heading into next season.

No. 7-seed Texas A&M hosts the No. 10 Miami Hurricanes (10-2) in a CFP first-round game at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 20, at Kyle Field. The game can be viewed on ABC/ESPN.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Jarrett Johnson on X: @whosnextsports1.

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How to get tickets for #7 Texas A&M vs. #10 Miami in College Playoff 1st round

Published

14 hours ago

December 16, 2025

Press Room

How to get tickets for #7 Texas A&M vs. #10 Miami in College Playoff 1st round

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The 10th-ranked Miami Hurricanes hit the road for College Station for a Saturday afternoon matchup against the No. 7 Texas A&M Aggies in the first round of the College Football Playoff. The game is scheduled for noon ET (11 a.m. CT) with tickets still available to watch live.

How to get Texas A&M vs. Miami tickets for the best prices: Tickets for the Texas A&M vs. Miami playoff game are available on secondary markets Vivid Seats, StubHub, SeatGeek and Viagogo.

The lowest prices are as follows (as of Dec. 15):

Vivid Seats starting at $375
StubHub starting at $388
SeatGeek starting at $315
Viagogo starting at $345

The Aggies own the homefield advantage and are listed as 3.5-point betting favorites to play their way into the second round. Texas A&M won its first 11 straight games of the 2025 season before falling to rival No. 16 Texas (27-17) in its regular-season finale. The Aggies were battle-tested in going 7-1 in a Southeastern Conference that put five teams into the College Football Playoff field. They also join Miami as teams to beat Notre Dame this season, winning a 41-40 shootout back in Week 3.

#10 Miami (10-2) at #7 Texas A&M (11-1)

College Football Playoff 1st round

When: Saturday, Dec. 20 at noon ET (11 a.m. CT)
Where: Kyle Field, College Station, Texas
Tickets: Vivid Seats | StubHub | SeatGeek | Viagogo
TV channel: ABC/ESPN
Streaming on: FuboTV (free trial) | DirecTV (free trial) | SlingTV (low intro rate)

The Hurricanes’ 27-24 win over then-No. 6 Notre Dame was the best line entry on the team’s résumé as the third-place finisher in the messy Atlantic Coast Conference. Miami rattled off four straight wins to close the season and showed the kind of explosive scoring offense required to stack up with Texas A&M, scoring 34-plus points in each of those four wins. The Canes closed the season with a 38-7 blowout win over then-No. 23 Pitt to strengthen their CFP case.

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14-year-old suspect in deadly North Texas shooting taken into custody in Dallas, police say

Published

1 day ago

December 15, 2025

Press Room

14-year-old suspect in deadly North Texas shooting taken into custody in Dallas, police say

Updated on: December 15, 2025 / 10:07 PM CST
/ CBS Texas

The 14-year-old wanted in the deadly shooting of a man in Collin County over the weekend is in custody, police said.

Lavon police said Monday night that the teenage boy was taken into custody in Dallas without incident.

Police say the shooting happened Saturday night, just before 9 p.m. on Wellington Drive in Lavon, when an argument broke out between the 14-year-old suspect and a 24-year-old acquaintance.

Police say that the altercation turned deadly. The teen shot and killed the 24-year-old before fleeing the scene.

“A murder is a very rare thing in our city, so it’s shocking,” said J. Michael Jones, the Lavon Chief of Police. “And it’s even more shocking that this suspect is a 14-year-old.”

Community ISD confirmed the suspect is a student at Community Trails Middle School, where district leaders took extra precautions in case he is still in town.

Earlier Monday, Jones urged the suspect and anyone helping him to turn him in, saying, “I will find you. I will investigate you, and I will put you in jail.”

Lavon police thanked the community and several law enforcement agencies for their help with the investigation, including the Collin County District Attorney’s Office, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Louisiana State Police, the Collin County Sheriff’s Office, the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office, the Community Independent School District Police Department, the Lavon Fire Department, and many others.

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