A Houston man who investigators say was caught with more than 500 grams of fentanyl in late 2024 has been sentenced to 25 years in state prison, closing out a case local officials are calling a major win for public safety in southeast Texas.
Cedric Derrell Potts pleaded guilty in June and received a 25-year sentence in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice after a November 2024 investigation by Montgomery County Precinct 3’s Criminal Interdiction Unit and partner agencies. Authorities say the bust took a significant amount of the potent synthetic opioid off area streets and highlighted their broader push to choke off trafficking corridors feeding Houston and surrounding communities.
In a June 6, 2026 press release, Woodlands Online reported that Potts was arrested in November 2024 on a charge of manufacturing and delivery of a controlled substance in Penalty Group 1. Investigators seized more than 500 grams of fentanyl, according to the release, and Potts later entered a guilty plea before being handed the 25-year term. The constable’s office publicly thanked the Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigations Division and the Houston Police Department for their roles in the investigation.
How big was the haul?
The Drug Enforcement Administration notes that as little as two milligrams of fentanyl can be a potentially lethal dose, depending on a person’s size and tolerance, according to the DEA. By that rough math, 500 grams equals about 500,000 milligrams, so the amount reported in this case would be the equivalent of roughly 250,000 potential 2-milligram doses. It is the kind of figure that explains why officials treat large fentanyl seizures as marquee public-safety victories.
Local enforcement response
Montgomery County Precinct 3’s Criminal Interdiction Unit, which its website says targets roadway interdiction and organized-crime threats, led the operation with help from state and city partners. In a statement carried by Woodlands Online, Constable Ryan Gable was quoted as saying, "Constable Gable and his team are dedicated to protecting the public from criminals and those that exploit our communities." The case is being held up locally as an example of what that mission looks like in practice.
Legal context
Under Texas law, manufacture or delivery of Penalty Group 1 substances is punished according to weight, with penalties climbing steeply as quantities increase. As outlined in the Texas Health and Safety Code, deliveries of four grams or more are classified as a first-degree felony, and shipments of 400 grams or more trigger enhanced punishments that include a minimum of 15 years in prison. The statutory tiers are detailed in the Texas statute.
Where this fits
Houston and statewide officials have intensified interdiction efforts and public-awareness campaigns as fentanyl-related overdoses have risen in recent years. Local coverage and state messaging built around the warning that "one pill can kill" reflect a broader push to slow the flow of synthetic opioids into neighborhoods, according to reporting by the Houston Chronicle.
Potts’ plea and sentence formally wrap up this investigation, but county officials say the Criminal Interdiction Unit will continue to pursue similar cases along key roadways. The constable’s office has pointed to the outcome as an example of how coordinated work among local, state, and city partners can pull dangerous drugs out of circulation before they are cut, pressed into pills, and sold on the street.
