Illegal immigrant linked to Virginia high school overdoses faces fentanyl charges

An illegal immigrant from El Salvador facing a final deportation order was arrested last week in Virginia on federal drug charges, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

Isaac Melendez-Carranza, 31, was taken into custody Aug. 20 and charged with distributing fentanyl within 1,000 feet of a school. He is currently held without bond at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center. DHS confirmed that Immigration and Customs Enforcement lodged a detainer on Melendez-Carranza following his arrest.

According to DHS, an immigration judge issued Melendez-Carranza a final removal order on July 18, 2024. Despite this, he was encountered in Sterling, Virginia, less than a month later, on Aug. 16, 2024, but authorities did not take action, citing a lack of response from the Biden administration, DHS said.

Records show that DHS previously arrested Melendez-Carranza near Hebbronville, Texas, on May 3, 2016, after he illegally entered the U.S. via the Rio Grande. He was released on bond July 13, 2016, DHS said.

The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office linked Melendez-Carranza to local drug overdoses involving students at Park View High School in May. Authorities seized about 100 pills and roughly $1,000 in cash during a search of his home, according to Fox 5 DC. Several students were hospitalized after suspected overdoses, with officials noting it was unclear whether the incidents were connected or involved controlled substances.

Sheriff Mike Chapman called the case alarming, emphasizing the impact on local students. He stated Melendez-Carranza would be turned over to ICE after his local charges are resolved, adding, “He’s here illegally. I think he came in about 10 years ago. We shouldn’t be here, and maybe if he wasn’t here, this wouldn’t have happened.

Source: Original Article