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Published on January 16, 2025
Mexican National Sentenced to 15 Years for Drug Trafficking and Immigration Offenses in North CarolinaSource: Unsplash/ Emiliano Bar

A Mexican national has been handed a 15-year sentence for crimes including drug trafficking and illegal re-entry into the United States, as reported by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina. Adrian Arroyo-Trujillo, who is 32 years old, faced a judge and received his sentence yesterday.

The case against Trujillo unfolded after a joint effort by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Union County Sheriff’s Office began to look into his activities in August 2022. Over several months, investigators utilized surveillance to slowly piece together a narrative that suggested he not only trafficked methamphetamine but also ran a lab to convert the drug in his home. According to a statement obtained by the Justice Department, officers went on to fully confirm their suspicions.

Evidence from the field was backed by clear-cut forensic analysis such as when police stopped Trujillo's vehicle on September 12, 2022, and discovered 10.89 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine alongside money order receipts, a customs receipt from Laredo, Texas, multiple cell phones, and a drug ledger. The forensic analysis later linked the contents found on his cell phones directly to drug trafficking activity.

Following up the next day with a search warrant, law enforcement officers to unravel further evidence in Trujillo's residence, which included not only more methamphetamine in liquid and crystal forms but also a black Anderson AM-15 multi-caliber rifle, two magazines, ammunition, and a plethora of other items that were deemed consistent with the operation of a meth lab. Beyond his criminal activities on U.S. soil, it was also established that Trujillo had re-entered the country illegally after previously being deported.

In a recent announcement, U.S. Attorney Dena J. King acknowledged the diligent work of both HSI and the Union County Sheriff’s Office in bringing Trujillo to justice. The prosecution was carried out by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas Kent and Kenny Smith of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte.

Arroyo-Trujillo will face both the 180-month prison term for the drug trafficking charge and an additional 24 months for his illegal re-entry, with both sentences to be served concurrently.