Two Cuban immigrants are in custody after being accused of drug trafficking and possession of stolen firearms. The duo, Cesar Valdes, age 89, and Magdaleno Medina, age 73, have reportedly been in the U.S. illegally for over 45 years.
The situation escalated when, on August 19, the Miami Police Department sent an undercover officer to buy $60 worth of cocaine from Medina. Following that transaction, police returned on September 9 with a search warrant, where they also found Valdes.
During the search, officers discovered numerous clear bags filled with cocaine and marijuana, along with ammunition, stolen guns, and more than $4,800 in cash.
As it happens, both men entered the U.S. near Key West, Florida, on separate occasions in May 1980, according to an ICE representative. Medina is reported to have four prior felony convictions in the country related to drug offenses. An immigration judge issued him a final exclusion order in July 1996.
Details on Medina’s previous arrests are sparse, and it’s unknown if he served jail time. Meanwhile, Valdes has a history of drug-related charges, including cocaine possession, dating back to the 1980s and 1990s. He, too, was handed a final order of exclusion by an immigration judge in March 1993.
Currently, Medina faces eight felony charges that include intent to sell cocaine, cocaine trafficking, and illegal possession of firearms as a convicted felon. Valdes is contending with five similar felony charges tied to drugs and firearms.
Both men remain held in a Miami jail, with ICE placing detainers on them. An ICE spokesperson emphasized the administration’s zero-tolerance stance on criminal illegal immigrants, indicating they will actively seek to arrest and deport those who break the law.
Medina and Valdes have pleaded not guilty to the charges against them, but their attorney has not commented on the cases just yet.
