Previously Removed Illegal Alien from Mexico and Utah Man Arrested and Charged After Law Enforcement Seized Meth and Heroin in Utah

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah - A federal grand jury in Salt Lake City returned an indictment charging a previously removed illegal alien from Mexico and a Utah County man with drug crimes after law enforcement seized a large quantity of methamphetamine and heroin during a traffic stop and at a residence in Lehi, Utah.

Martiano Ralph Estrada, 51, of Orem, Utah, and Alejandro Alberto Alvarado-Gutierrez, 34, of Mexico, residing illegally in Lehi, were charged and arrested on July 8, 2026.

According to court documents, on June 29, 2026, law enforcement stopped Estrada for a traffic violation. Estrada was the driver and Alvarado-Gutierrez was the front passenger. During a search of the vehicle, law enforcement found approximately 31 grams of methamphetamine and 33 grams of heroin hidden under the steering wheel of the vehicle. Law enforcement also searched a residence in Lehi and located an additional 223 grams of heroin and 1,108 grams of methamphetamine. At the residence, law enforcement also located packaging for two cell phones which matched the phones found on Alvarado-Gutierrez during the traffic stop. A brief search of the phones revealed messages that appeared to be about drug distribution. In total, law enforcement seized 1,139 grams of methamphetamine and 256 grams of heroin.

According to court documents, Alvarado-Gutierrez is not a citizen of the United States and was previously removed from the United States in November 2025.

Estrada and Alvarado-Gutierrez are charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, and possession of heroin with intent to distribute. Alvarado-Gutierrez is also charged with reentry of a previously removed alien. Their initial appearance on the indictment was July 13, 2026. Estrada's detention hearing is scheduled for July 17, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. Alvarado-Gutierrez is scheduled for a three-day jury trial on September 18, 2026, before a U.S. District Court Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.

United States Attorney Melissa Holyoak of the District of Utah made the announcement.

The case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Special Assistant United States Attorney Pete Reichman for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.