William S. Thompson U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia
Israel Chaires-Villa, a 22-year-old Mexican national, has entered a guilty plea to charges of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. This development was announced in Charleston, West Virginia.
Court documents and statements reveal that on October 6, 2024, Chaires-Villa traveled from Houston, Texas, to Cross Lanes, West Virginia. He carried approximately 22 pounds of methamphetamine intended for delivery. His arrest resulted from a joint investigation by federal and local law enforcement into a conspiracy distributing large quantities of methamphetamine from Houston to West Virginia and other locations.
Chaires-Villa is set for sentencing on June 2, 2025. He faces up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a potential $1 million fine. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has placed an administrative detainer on him for deportation proceedings following the completion of his sentence.
The investigation also led to the indictment of German Francisco Diaz ("Trulio"), Braulio Villa-Chairez ("Raul"), and Silvester Barcenas. These individuals are accused of conspiring to distribute methamphetamine in Charleston between March and October 2024. Their trial is scheduled for April 15, 2025. It is important to note that an indictment is only an allegation; all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
United States Attorney Will Thompson praised the investigative efforts of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT). MDENT includes several local law enforcement agencies such as the Charleston Police Department and various county sheriff's offices.
The hearing was overseen by United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn, with Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe prosecuting the case.
Further information can be accessed through the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia's website or via PACER using Case No. 2:24-cr-175.
