Isaac Melendez-Carranza is being held without bond after Loudoun County investigators linked him to suspected fentanyl distribution and student overdoses at Park View High School.
LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va. — Federal immigration authorities have lodged a detainer against a 31-year-old Salvadoran man accused of distributing fentanyl near a Virginia high school after investigators linked him to student overdoses earlier this year.
Isaac Melendez-Carranza, of Sterling, was arrested Aug. 20 by the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office following an investigation into suspected fentanyl distribution. According to the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, investigators identified him as a suspected dealer connected to overdoses involving students at Park View High School in May.
Melendez-Carranza is charged with two counts of distribution of a controlled substance and one count involving the sale of drugs near certain properties. He remains held at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center without bond.
ICE Lodges Detainer After Arrest
On the same day as his arrest, ICE Washington lodged an immigration detainer and warrant of removal with the detention center in Leesburg.
In a Sept. 28 announcement, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said Melendez-Carranza is a citizen of El Salvador who entered the United States illegally after crossing the Rio Grande from Mexico.
Federal authorities said a Border Patrol officer encountered him near Hebbronville, Texas, on April 30, 2016.
“Anyone who comes to this country illegally and then allegedly peddles deadly fentanyl near our children’s schools should expect ICE to come for them,” acting ICE Director David J. Venturella said.
Investigation Began After Student Overdoses
Loudoun County authorities said their Drug and Gang Unit connected Melendez-Carranza to suspected fentanyl distribution while investigating overdoses involving Park View High School students.
Deputies executed search warrants on Aug. 20 and seized suspected narcotics and U.S. currency, according to the sheriff’s office.
The charges remain allegations, and Melendez-Carranza has not been convicted in the Loudoun County case.
“The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office understands that protecting our communities must come before politics,” Venturella said. “ICE will relentlessly pursue criminal illegal aliens who threaten Americans, take them into custody, and remove them from the United States.”
Loudoun County participates in ICE’s 287(g) program, which allows designated local law enforcement personnel to perform certain immigration enforcement functions under federal supervision.
More Virginia crime news and immigration enforcement coverage can be found at Shore News Network.
