Jesus Abraham Romero-Lopez/Mexico/Possession of Fentanyl (22 lbs), Dangerous Drugs

ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Denver arrested 36-year-old Jesus Abraham Romero-Lopez, a Mexican national illegally present in the United States. Romero-Lopez was taken into custody during a targeted enforcement action and will remain detained pending the outcome of his immigration proceedings.

At the time of arrest, Romero-Lopez had an active misdemeanor-level case involving dangerous drugs. However, the situation escalated significantly when agents discovered he was in possession of approximately 22 pounds of fentanyl—a lethal quantity capable of causing thousands of overdoses. Due to the quantity of narcotics recovered, his pending charge is expected to be upgraded to felony-level drug trafficking or distribution under state or federal law.

Romero-Lopez has no lawful status in the U.S. and has been placed in removal proceedings. ICE officers transferred him to a secure detention facility where he will remain pending a hearing before an immigration judge. Coordination with local law enforcement is ongoing to address the narcotics charges, and additional criminal proceedings are anticipated.

ICE continues to detain Romero-Lopez as a flight risk and potential danger to the public due to the volume of fentanyl found in his possession.