An illegal alien with a standing deportation order was living freely in Virginia when two high schoolers nearly died from his fentanyl pills.
Loudoun County deputies arrested 31-year-old Isaac Melendez-Carranza on August 20th after investigating a pair of suspected fentanyl overdoses at Park View High School. Both students survived because Narcan was administered in time. ICE lodged a detainer against Melendez-Carranza the same day authorities took him into custody.
The case started in May, when two Park View students suffered suspected fentanyl overdoses. The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office Drug and Gang Unit launched an investigation into the suspected distribution and identified Melendez-Carranza as the alleged dealer connected to both incidents. Detectives executed search warrants before making the arrest. The sheriff’s office announced it publicly on August 24th.
As originally reported, deputies seized suspected narcotics and cash during those searches. Loudoun County Sheriff Mike Chapman said Melendez-Carranza had more than 100 fentanyl pills on him at the time, along with several thousand dollars in cash. “Looked to me like he was getting ready to do another delivery to somebody,” Chapman said.
Melendez-Carranza now faces two counts of distributing a controlled substance and one count of selling drugs near certain properties, which is a separate felony under Virginia law. The statute applies to distribution on school grounds or within 1,000 feet of a school on public property. A conviction on that charge carries a sentence of one to five years and a fine of up to $100,000. He is being held without bond at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center.
According to information the Department of Homeland Security provided to Fox News, Melendez-Carranza is a Salvadoran national who entered the country illegally a decade before his arrest. U.S. Border Patrol first caught him near Hebbronville, Texas, on May 3rd, 2016, after he crossed the Rio Grande. He was released on bond that July. An immigration judge issued a final removal order against him on July 18th, 2024.
Despite that order, DHS says authorities encountered him in Sterling, Virginia, on August 16th, 2024, and took no immigration enforcement action. ICE filed its detainer four days later, the day of his criminal arrest. The detainer requests that local authorities transfer him to federal custody upon any release from local jail. DHS stated plainly after the arrest: “ICE will work to ensure this criminal is REMOVED from our nation.”
The sheriff’s office warned the public that counterfeit pills often contain fentanyl without the user having any idea. “Fentanyl is an extremely potent synthetic opioid, and even a small amount can cause a fatal overdose,” the department said. Authorities urged anyone who suspects an overdose to call 911 immediately. The sheriff’s office added that additional arrests in the case remain possible.