Houston man charged with distributing fentanyl linked to two deaths – Houston Public Media
A Houston resident was charged with trafficking fentanyl that allegedly led to the death of two people. Under a recently introduced Texas law, he could eventually be charged with murder.
Antonio Curo, 24, was denied bond by a U.S. Magistrate Judge after the court found him to be a danger to the community and a possible flight risk. Curo was indicted in September for his alleged participation in a 13-month conspiracy to distribute over 400 grams of fentanyl.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office of the Southern District of Texas, Curo allegedly recruited and directed others while holding authority over the distribution of fentanyl. He also allegedly set the price for pills, organized their sale and prepared them for shipment across the country.
The attorney's office also claims that authorities connected Curo's distribution of fentanyl to the death of a 24-year-old man in Connecticut. The victim allegedly order the pills online via social media and instant messaging services. Curo then sent the fentanyl pills through the mail, according to court filings.
The death of a 16-year-old girl in January 2024 was also allegedly tied to Curo's national fentanyl distribution. The attorney's office said that records indicate Curo had recently been in the area before the girl's death. The state where the 16-year-old victim resided was not provided.
Curo is charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl resulting in death or serious bodily injury and six substantive counts of distribution of fentanyl from August 2023 through April 2024. He has also been charged with conspiracy to distribute alprazolam, known as Xanax.
These fines are punishable by a maximum sentence of life in prison and a maximum possible fine of $10 million. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Homeland Security Investigations in Houston investigated the case with help from other state agencies.
Last year, Texas House Bill 6 went into effect, allowing state prosecutors to charge accused drug dealers with murder in cases where fentanyl was linked to a death. Curo has not been charged under this new law. So far, the Harris County District Attorney's Office said they have approximately eight cases in which someone has been charged with murder under HB 6.
