An illegal immigrant with a long criminal history who had previously been deported from the United States is now charged with second-degree murder in Las Vegas.
Jorge Miranda, a 46-year-old Ecuadorian migrant, faces murder and other charges after allegedly selling fentanyl to a 45-year-old man who later died of an overdose, according to a KLAS report.
Police say Miranda was deported from the United States in 2016, but regained her illegal entry at an unknown time.
Detectives served a search warrant at Miranda's home in February after a relative of the overdose victim tipped them off, and the relative showed police a text message exchanged on the victim's phone with a man named “John Fenty” who organized a drug sale.
'UNACCEPTABLE': ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT WANTED FOR MURDER HAS AN 'EXTENSIVE' CRIMINAL PAST
Jorge Miranda (Clark County Detention Center)
An undercover detective set up another meeting with Miranda using the victim's phone, which resulted in Miranda meeting with the detective and allegedly selling 20 fentanyl pills for $400. Police also noted that Miranda had a gun in his pocket during the meeting, although undocumented immigrants cannot obtain a concealed carry permit by law.
During a search of Miranda's home, police found drug and cocaine packaging materials inside a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles lunch box, fentanyl, and four firearms. Police determined Miranda had more than 174 grams of fentanyl, more than 243 grams of cocaine and more than $19,000 in cash inside the home, KLAS reported.
Miranda was also wanted for two previous arrest warrants, the report noted, including a 2016 incident in which he was arrested for possession of marijuana with intent to sell after being stopped for driving 30 mph over the speed limit. At the time, Miranda only had an Ecuadorian passport and no driver's license, the report states, but he was released from jail the next day.
The second warrant was for an incident just five days before the marijuana arrest, according to the report, when Miranda was suspected of driving without a license.
The Las Vegas Strip starting in September 2022 (Gabe Ginsberg/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Salvadoran sex offender living illegally in the United States is arrested in Virginia
Miranda was first admitted to the United States in 1988, the report notes, but then violated the terms of his entry with multiple incidents.
In 1997, Miranda was convicted of robbery and petit theft in Las Vegas. In 1998, she was convicted of grand larceny in Clark County District Court.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has placed a detainer against Miranda, a request that the agency be notified before he is released from jail, with the Center Clark County Detention.
Despite that, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department told KLAS they have not conducted immigration checks on Miranda and have not participated in 287G, a program that allows local law enforcement to work with federal immigration authorities. to deport illegal immigrants, since 2019.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Miranda has been indicted by a grand jury on 17 felony counts, including second-degree murder, carrying a concealed firearm or other deadly weapon, possession of a short-barreled shotgun, two counts of trafficking in a controlled substance, two counts of possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell, two counts of sale of a controlled substance, four counts of ownership or possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, and four counts of use or possession of a weapon of fire by a person who commits a drug-related crime, the report states.
His bail has been set at $250,000 with high-level electronic monitoring, although he has remained in custody since his arrest. Miranda's next court appearance is scheduled for June 11.
