Meng Yang/Laos/Manufacture and Distribution of Methamphetamine

Laotian national Meng Yang was arrested by federal immigration authorities in Circle Pines, Minnesota, during Operation Metro Surge. Yang was previously convicted of three counts of controlled substance crime in the first degree, specifically manufacture of methamphetamine and aiding and abetting the sale of a controlled substance. In April 2012, Mystic Lake Casino Hotel security discovered large quantities of methamphetamine and marijuana in Yang’s hotel room satchel.

A jury found Yang guilty on all counts of controlled substance offenses, and he was sentenced to 175 months in prison. Minnesota Court of Appeals records reflect Yang’s convictions for drug manufacturing and distribution offenses. According to federal records, Yang had been subject to removal proceedings based on his felony drug convictions. Immigration and Customs Enforcement took Yang into custody following completion of his state sentence, placing him in federal immigration custody for deportation.