Elderly Cuban immigrants arrested in Miami on drug and gun charges after decades of illegal residence
Cesar Valdes, 89, and Magdaleno Medina, 73, were detained in Miami on multiple felony counts for selling cocaine and possessing stolen firearms, after living in the U.S. illegally for more than 45 years.
Miami authorities arrested 89-year-old Cesar Valdes and 73-year-old Magdaleno Medina after an undercover officer purchased $60 of cocaine from Medina on Aug. 19. A subsequent narcotics search on Sept. 9 revealed dozens of sealed bags of cocaine and marijuana, ammunition, stolen firearms and over $4,800 in cash. Both men had entered the United States illegally near Key West in May 1980 and have lived in the country for more than four decades.
Medina carries four prior felony convictions for drug offenses and was ordered excluded from the U.S. in July 1996, while Valdes has earlier drug possession and probation violations and received a 1993 exclusion order. Medina now faces eight felony charges, including cocaine trafficking and illegal firearm possession, and Valdes faces five similar counts. Both are being held in a Miami jail under ICE detainers and have entered not guilty pleas.
Why it matters
The case highlights ongoing challenges of illegal immigration enforcement and drug trafficking within U.S. communities.
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