EL PASO, TEXAS — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)), published as received.
EL PASO, Texas – A federal jury convicted an El Paso man for three counts related to fentanyl trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Charles Arellano, 45, was a fentanyl dealer who came under investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration. During a fentanyl transaction in January 2025, he claimed to be connected to various drug cartels and had been involved in drug dealing for a long time. Arellano then fled to Mexico in early 2025.
Mexican authorities apprehended Arellano in June 2025 and returned him to the United States for prosecution. He was indicted in July 2025 with co-defendant, Yvonne Beltran-Leyva.
Beltran-Leyva pleaded guilty in October 2025. She was sentenced in April to 108 months in federal prison for her involvement in the fentanyl trafficking conspiracy.
A sentencing date for Arellano has not yet been set. He faces five to 40 years in federal prison.
The DEA investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathan Brown and Erin Van Pelt are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
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