LAREDO, Texas - A 34-year-old Texas man has been sentenced to 21 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl that led to a fatal overdose, federal prosecutors announced.

Rene Antonio Melendez, who pleaded guilty June 29, was ordered by U.S. District Judge Diana Saldaa to serve 252 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.

The backstory: The charges stem from a March 11, 2023, incident when law enforcement responded to a Laredo hotel room following a report of an unresponsive man.