CHARLESTON, WV (LOOTPRESS) – A Mexican national has pleaded guilty to drug charges after authorities say he transported a large quantity of methamphetamine from Texas to West Virginia.
Israel Chaires-Villa, 22, admitted to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine during a court hearing on Thursday.
According to court records, he drove from Houston, Texas, to Cross Lanes, West Virginia, on October 6, 2024, carrying approximately 22 pounds of methamphetamine intended for delivery.
Chaires-Villa’s arrest was part of a joint federal and local law enforcement investigation into a drug trafficking network that allegedly supplied large amounts of methamphetamine to West Virginia from Houston.
He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 2, 2025, and faces up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has placed a detainer on Chaires-Villa for deportation proceedings following his sentence.
The investigation also led to the indictment of three other Mexican nationals: German Francisco Diaz, 40, also known as “Trulio”; Braulio Villa-Chairez, 31, also known as “Raul”; and Silvester Barcenas, 23.
The indictment alleges they conspired to distribute methamphetamine in the Charleston area between March and October 2024. Their trial is set for April 15, 2025.
Authorities emphasize that an indictment is only an allegation, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
U.S. Attorney Will Thompson commended the efforts of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), which includes multiple law enforcement agencies in the region.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe. United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over the plea hearing.
