Authorities arrest man accused of selling crystal meth, heroin to undercover agent

Prosecutors in Chester County have charged a man with drug trafficking offenses after he sold crystal meth and fentanyl-laced heroin to an undercover agent as part of a international drug ring.

According to investigators, 27-year-old Jose Uriel Arreola-Ortiz met the agent in March after he flew to Chester County to collect drug profits. 

Arreola-Ortiz recruited the agent to sell a kilogram of crystal meth. Prosecutors say the drugs were mailed to the agent later that month, and Arreola-Ortiz required the agent to deposit money into a falsified bank account.

For the next several months, authorities say Arreola-Ortiz and the agent held an open line of communication. In August, Arreola-Ortiz offered to sell the agent heroin and meth, which required the agent to deposit more money into a separate phony account.

The drugs were again mailed to the agent, but investigators say the package instead held a lethal amount of fentanyl mixed with heroin.

Authorities on Wednesday intercepted Arreola-Ortiz at a scheduled meeting he had with the undercover agent. He was charged with drug trafficking offenses and his bail was placed at $1 million.

Prosecutors say Arreola-Ortiz is a Mexican national residing illegally in the United States, and operated his drug ring out of California and Mexico.

"Crystal meth and fentanyl-laced heroin are the evil twins of current street drugs," Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan said. "Local drug dealers and, now, international drug traffickers are learning that they better stay out of Chester County."