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Suspect in Loudoun County school overdoses was in the U.S. illegally
A suspect arrested in connection with a Loudoun County drug investigation was in the U.S. illegally, sheriff’s officials said.
LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va. - A man accused of selling fentanyl to students in Loudoun County is in the country illegally, according to the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office.
What we know:
Isaac Melendez‑Carranza, 31, is an El Salvador native who has been in the U.S. illegally for the past 10 years. He was arrested and charged with distributing fentanyl within 1,000 feet of public schools, police said.
Melendez‑Carranza was arrested on Aug. 20. During a search of his home, deputies found 100 pills and about $1,000. He is being held at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center without bond.
Investigators say Melendez‑Carranza was identified as a suspected dealer connected to overdoses involving students at Park View High School in May 2026.
RELATED: Multiple students hospitalized after suspected overdoses at Park View High School in Loudoun County
Isaac Melendez Carranza (Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office)
According to court documents, Melendez‑Carranza claimed he was selling to support his own use.
The sheriff's office confirmed they plan to hand him over to ICE when he is released.
"He’s here illegally," Sheriff Mike Chapman said. "I think he came in about 10 years ago. We shouldn’t be here and maybe if he wasn’t here this would not have happened so we take that quite seriously. There is a detainer on him from ICE so once he is done with his charges here, he will be released to ICE."
According to the sheriff's office, there could be more arrests in the investigation, but there is currently no timetable for when that could happen.
What they're saying:
"Everything when you’re looking at drug investigations just like a chain and what you wanna do is surely you wanna stop anybody that’s getting the drugs over here that’s in danger, but you also wanna work your way up to see who you can get to the top of the chain so this person is pretty significant player here in the area and the fact that it’s going to the students here is really alarming," Sheriff Mike Chapman said.
Loudoun County Public Schools sent a letter to staff and students at the time of the overdoses but did not send a letter home to parents following the arrest. The district said it remains committed to working with the community to address drug use among students.
A spokesperson for DHS shared the following statement:
"ICE lodged a detainer on August 20 for Isaac Melendez-Carranza, an illegal alien from El Salvador, with the Loudoun County Jail. He was arrested for possession with intent to manufacture, sell, or distribute, and possession with intent to distribute controlled substance within 1000 feet of a school, which are felonies in Virginia.
An immigration judge issued Melendez-Carranza a final order of removal on July 18, 2024. Melendez-Carranza was encountered on August 16, 2024, in Sterling, Virginia, but no action was taken by the Biden administration.
On May 3, 2016, Border Patrol arrested Melendez-Carranza near Hebbronville, Texas, after he illegally entered the country via the Rio Grande River. He was released on bond on July 13, 2016.
Under President Trump and Secretary Mullin, ICE is targeting the worst of the worst. Nearly 70% of ICE arrests are of illegal aliens charged or convicted of a crime in the U.S."
The Source: Information in this article comes from the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office.