Mesquite man sentenced to over 11 years in federal prison for fentanyl trafficking in Texas

Mesquite, Texas – A 31-year-old Mesquite man has been sentenced to more than 11 years in federal prison after admitting to his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy involving fentanyl in the Eastern District of Texas. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs following the sentencing by U.S. District Judge Sean D. Jordan on December 17, 2025.

Arob Kolnyang pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. He was sentenced to 135 months in federal prison after investigators revealed his role in a conspiracy that began in 2021, involving the distribution of at least 40 grams of fentanyl throughout the region.

Federal Initiative Targets Criminal Networks

Kolnyang’s case is part of a broader effort under the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF), which was established by Executive Order 14159, titled Protecting the American People Against Invasion. This federal initiative represents a unified front from multiple agencies focused on dismantling criminal cartels, transnational gangs, and trafficking operations, both within the U.S. and internationally.

“The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad,” according to the U.S. Department of Justice. “Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders.”

The task force also emphasizes targeting individuals involved in child trafficking or crimes involving children, and it aims to prosecute and remove the most dangerous criminal aliens from the country.

Multi-Agency Investigation Leads to Federal Conviction

The investigation into Kolnyang’s drug activities involved several law enforcement agencies, including the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service–Office of Inspector General, the Mesquite Police Department, and the Phoenix, Arizona, Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys from the Plano office.

Kolnyang’s sentencing marks another federal step in combating the fentanyl crisis and enforcing justice against those distributing deadly narcotics in Texas communities.