Little Rock, Arkansas – A man living in Arkansas without legal status has been sentenced to more than 11 years in federal prison after authorities uncovered his role in a large methamphetamine distribution conspiracy. Allan Ricardo Medina-Morales will spend the next 135 months in federal prison following his conviction for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The sentence was announced by Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, and handed down by Chief United States District Judge Kristine G. Baker.
Medina-Morales, 39, a citizen of Honduras who had been living in Judsonia, Arkansas, was originally indicted by a federal grand jury on February 7, 2023. The four-count indictment charged him with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
On April 23, 2024, Medina-Morales pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. In addition to the prison term, Chief Judge Baker imposed five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
Surveillance leads to major drug seizure
The investigation revealed that Medina-Morales and others were involved in a methamphetamine distribution operation as early as March 2022. On March 15, 2022, officers with the Conway Police Department conducted surveillance at a co-conspirator’s residence after noticing suspicious activity.
During the surveillance, officers observed Medina-Morales carrying a duffel bag from his vehicle into the residence. He was also seen retrieving an additional kilogram of methamphetamine from a tree stump in the yard and bringing it inside.
Shortly after, Medina-Morales and the co-conspirator left the residence in a vehicle belonging to him. Arkansas State Police troopers followed and conducted a traffic stop. During a search of the vehicle, officers discovered a Colt Model Detective Special .38 caliber firearm in the glove box.
Investigators later obtained a search warrant for the property. Inside, officers located approximately 10 kilograms of methamphetamine stored in the duffel bag along with drug distribution paraphernalia. Testing by the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory determined that the seized substances totaled approximately 11.7889 kilograms of methamphetamine.
Immigration history and future deportation
Records show Medina-Morales previously encountered immigration authorities. On January 6, 2013, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents arrested him for illegal entry near Edinburg, Texas. On October 9, 2019, an immigration court in Baltimore, Maryland, ordered him removed to Honduras, but he failed to appear in court.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has placed a detainer on Medina-Morales, and he will be deported to Honduras after completing his federal sentence.
The investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the Arkansas State Police and the Conway Police Department.
Federal officials said the case underscores the ongoing effort to dismantle drug trafficking operations and hold those responsible accountable. The seizure of large quantities of methamphetamine and the recovery of a firearm, they noted, removed dangerous substances and weapons from the community while disrupting the distribution network.
Medina-Morales will serve his sentence in federal custody before beginning supervised release and eventual removal from the United States.
