BLOUNTVILLE, Tenn. – A Kingsport, Tenn., man accused of dealing cocaine and marijuana is the third illegal immigrant to wind up in the Sullivan County jail on drug charges in the past six months.
Miguel Sosa Martinez, 26, a Mexican citizen, was arrested shortly after midnight Monday and charged with possession of schedule II narcotics for resale, possession of schedule IV narcotics for resale, maintaining a dwelling where narcotics are sold and possession of drug paraphernalia, said Chief Deputy Lisa Christian with the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office. All of the charges are felonies.
“This [investigation] has been going on for a while and it just happened to end last night,” Christian said during a Tuesday morning news conference.
She said the office’s vice unit has been investigating Martinez since March.
Martinez was arrested after vice officers obtained a warrant to search his home on the 400 block of Mullins Street. During the search, officers seized a 2000 Chevrolet Malibu, a 1998 Pontiac Grand Am, four grams of cocaine, 1.4 ounces of marijuana, drug paraphernalia and $10,787 in cash, she said.
Christian also said that when he was arrested Martinez told police he is a Mexican citizen who has been living in this country illegally for about three years.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were notified, Christian said, and have placed a hold on him. This means the federal government will deport Martinez as soon as the county is through with him, ICE spokesman Temple Black said Tuesday.
“If he’s convicted, he’ll serve his sentence in that area and then he’ll be deported,” said Black, who works with the agency’s New Orleans office. If Martinez is found innocent of the criminal charges, Black said his agency will still pursue deportation.
Black said the hold and eventual deportation process starts once agents are notified about the arrest of a possible illegal immigrant. Once the sentence is completed, the agency finds out whether the person’s country will take him or her back, he said.
“Mexico takes people back,” Black said, adding that the deportation process doesn’t take long. Until then, Black said, Martinez will be treated “just like anyone else.”
ICE holds are pending against two other inmates, also Mexican citizens, in the Sullivan County lockup, said Capt. Tony Brunelli, the jail’s administrative captain.
Miguel Cervantes, 27, was arrested Dec. 30 and charged with tampering with evidence, evading arrest, resisting arrest, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of half a gram of cocaine for resale within 1,000 feet of a school. Juan Estrada, 32, was arrested Jan. 5 and charged with maintaining a dwelling where narcotics are sold and possession of half a gram of cocaine.
gmclean@bristolnews.com | (276) 645-2518
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