A 22-year-old man believed to be the “primary source” of the fentanyl that killed three Carrollton teens has been arrested, the feds said.

DALLAS – Law enforcement announced the arrest of a 22-year-old believed to be the main source of fentanyl-containing pills in Carrollton on Wednesday.

U.S. Attorney’s Office said Jason Xavier Villanueva was charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute.

The DEA believes that Villanueva provided fentanyl pills to two adults who were arrested as part of a fentanyl ring that resulted in the deaths of three students in Carrollton.

Villanueva first appeared in federal court on Wednesday afternoon.

READ MORE: 2 Carrollton Adults Lead Fentanyl Ring That Causes Student Deaths and Hospitalizations, Feds Say

It was announced last week that Luis Navarrete, 21, and Magali Mejia Cano, 29, were facing drug trafficking charges in connection with the deaths.

Investigators believe Villanueva worked through a juvenile dealer who supplied fentanyl pills to Navarrete and Cano.

Investigators say the couple distributed drugs from their Highland Drive home to R.L. High School students. Turner between the ages of 14 and 16, who then sold drugs to their classmates in high school and two high schools.

Villanueva also allegedly sold the pills directly to some teenagers.

Between September 2022 and January 2023, ten students at R. L. Turner High School, DeWitt Perry High School, and Dan F. Long High School overdosed. Three of these teenagers died due to overdose.

According to the arrest warrant, three teen overdose survivors identified two underage dealers.

At least one underage dealer found out about Villanueva through a social media account.

“These defendants were selling illegally manufactured pills that looked exactly like real prescription drugs. Most of them were blue round pills labeled M30,” said US Attorney Leiga Simonton. “But instead of oxycodone, they contain fentanyl, a terrifying drug 150 times more powerful than oxy.”

“I took the approach that when I saw that there is one victim, I would not call it an epidemic. But this is a problem. Our investigation is at an early stage, but we are solving it as we see it,” Carrollton said. Police Chief Roberto Arredondo. “We are aggressive in this. We want to rid our community of this poison.”

Following the arrests of Navarrette and Cano earlier this month, Villanueva posted on social media: “The only thing stopping us is the feds,” police said.

The DEA says the investigation into the case is ongoing.

If found guilty, the three defendants face up to 20 years in federal prison.

Investigators did not provide any further details about the underage dealers who were identified, citing their age.

READ MORE: A man is arrested in Plano after police found 6,000 fentanyl tablets in his car.

Between 2020 and 2021, nearly 79,000 people aged 18 to 45 — 37,208 in 2020 and 41,587 in 2021 — have died from fentanyl overdoses between 2020 and 2021, according to government data.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that can be lethal even in very small amounts, and other drugs, including heroin, methamphetamine, and marijuana, can contain the dangerous drug. Mexico and China are the main sources of fentanyl flow into the United States. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA).