Mexican National sentenced after DEA agents hijack drug shipment and catch dealer in sting operation

TULSA, Okla. — Luis Enrique Rios-Soriano, a 25-year-old Mexican national, was sentenced to 140 months in federal prison for drug conspiracy and attempted possession of methamphetamine, according to U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.

Judge John D. Russell also ordered five years of supervised release following the prison term.

The case began in June 2024 when Texas Department of Public Safety troopers stopped a driver for traffic violations.

A vehicle search uncovered a suitcase containing 21 plastic bags of a white substance, later confirmed by Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents as methamphetamine. The driver admitted to being paid $4,000 to transport the drugs to Tulsa.

In a sting operation, DEA agents replaced the methamphetamine with a fake substance and allowed the driver to complete the delivery. The driver met Rios-Soriano and his co-defendant, 20-year-old Morgan Ashley Kirby, in Tulsa, where they accepted the fake drugs and payment. Later, Oklahoma Highway Patrol stopped Rios-Soriano’s vehicle, finding over 46 pounds of the fake methamphetamine and cash inside.

Court documents state Rios-Soriano confessed to conspiring with others to distribute methamphetamine for profit. Kirby was convicted by a jury in February for related charges and awaits sentencing.

Rios-Soriano remains in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility. The investigation involved the DEA’s Tulsa and Amarillo offices, Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and Texas Department of Public Safety.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam Bailey and Christian Harris prosecuted the case.