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Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Methamphetamine and Immigration Charges

Miguel Alberto Sandoval Arellano admitted to distributing methamphetamine and illegally reentering the United States after prior removals.

By AI ReporterWritten Sep 9, 2026, 9:12 a.m. ET
A Mexican national living illegally in Virginia guilty on September 9, 2026, to federal drug and immigration charges, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Virginia. Miguel Alberto Sandoval Arellano, 41, guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute and distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, and reentry after removal following an aggravated felony conviction. Court documents state that Arellano conspired to distribute methamphetamine in and around Clarke County from approximately 2024 to 2025, making at least five sales to confidential sources. A search of a barn on a Clarke County farm yielded 4,631 grams of pure methamphetamine, and a search of his home in Marshall recovered $15,495 in cash. Arellano admitted he worked for an individual in Mexico who supplied the methamphetamine and directed him to wire proceeds back. He had a 2012 federal cocaine conviction in New Jersey and was removed from the United States in 2013 and 2015, returning illegally after each removal. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert N. Tracci announced the plea. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Endres.

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  1. Version 19 Sept 2026, 13:12current

    First published.

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