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Salvadoran National Arrested for Allegedly Distributing Fentanyl Near Virginia High School
Just the facts
The Loudoun County Sheriff's Office identified Melendez-Carranza as a suspected drug distributor connected to nonfatal student overdoses at Park View High School in Sterling, Virginia. Deputies executed a search warrant at his residence, seizing approximately 100 fentanyl pills and $1,000 in cash. Department of Homeland Security records indicate that Melendez-Carranza entered the United States near Hebbronville, Texas, in May 2016 and had been subject to a final order of removal since July 2024. Melendez-Carranza is held without bond at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement lodged a detainer to take custody of him after his local criminal proceedings conclude.
Why this is news
Law enforcement officers in Loudoun County, Virginia, arrested 31-year-old Salvadoran national Isaac Melendez-Carranza on August 20, 2026, charging him with distributing fentanyl within 1,000 feet of a school.
Sources
This summary is compiled strictly from the original reporting below.