A San Antonio man has been handed an 11-year prison sentence for the distribution of counterfeit pills laced with lethal fentanyl, contributing directly to the tragic demise of an El Paso woman. Brennan Dane Short, 49, was convicted after pleading guilty to one count of distribution of a controlled substance causing death or serious bodily injury, as confirmed by U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas.

Short dispatched the dangerous parcel from a local United States Postal Service outpost, with the undisclosed buyer discovering the fatal concoction on March 21, 2023. Ignoring the fact that fentanyl is a potent opioid, the said pills were made to resemble M-30, a fact that was stated in court documents. The recipient of the fentanyl-laced pills, a woman from El Paso, was later found unresponsive in a hotel room on March 27, and despite the presence of other substances, the El Paso County Medical Examiner’s Office concluded that she "would not have died but for the fentanyl."

The troubling case, signaling the relentless grip of the opioid crisis, was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. Brennan Dane Short's consequence for his role in this crisis, following his arrest on Aug. 15, 2023. He pleaded guilty on April 4.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip Countryman prosecuted the unyielding case.