A federal grand jury has indicted two Honduran nationals, Jorge Luis Hernandez-Valle, 36, and Luis Alfredo Hernandez, 35, who are residing illegally in the United States, on drug and immigration charges. This follows their arrest in Salt Lake County, Utah, on April 10, 2025.
Court documents indicate that since March 2025, the Utah County Major Crimes Task Force has been investigating a suspected drug trafficking operation. As part of the investigation, detectives purchased narcotics in a controlled buy and identified two vehicles and individuals involved in the organization. On April 8, 2025, a Toyota 4-Runner was stopped in Kearns, Utah, as part of the operation. A search warrant led to the seizure of approximately 4,500 fentanyl pills. Hernandez and Hernandez-Valle were arrested following the seizure.
The court records further reveal that Hernandez was deported from the United States in July 2009 and September 2018, while Hernandez-Valle faced deportation on three separate occasions: December 2007, September 2010, and May 2019. Both individuals are charged with possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute and reentry of a previously removed alien. They made their initial court appearance on April 18, 2025, at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse.
Acting United States Attorney Felice John Viti for the District of Utah announced the charges. The investigation is a collaboration between the Utah County Major Crimes Task Force and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Special Assistant United States Attorney Peter Reichman is prosecuting the case.
This case falls under Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice. The operation aims to combat illegal immigration, dismantle cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect communities from violent crime. It is supported by the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
It is important to note that an indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
