Rantz: Accused drug dealer deported four times, arrested in Seattle. Why is this not making headlines?

Orbin Dane Hernandez-Velazquez, a Honduran national who police say has been deported from the United States four times and served at least one 15-month prison sentence for illegal entry, has now been arrested in Seattle on staggering drug and firearms charges. Local media seem disinterested in the case?

The Seattle Police Department’s Certification for Determination of Probable Cause states that Hernandez-Velazquez was booked into the King County Jail on August 8, 2025, accused of attempting to deliver fentanyl (2.5 grams), possessing with intent to deliver fentanyl (868.5 grams), methamphetamine (1,990.5 grams), and cocaine (20.8 grams), as well as unlawful possession of a firearm. Authorities also seized $32,148 in cash and conducted a K-9 narcotics scan on a Lexus SUV linked to the suspect that produced a positive alert for narcotics. The probable-cause document further warns that a single kilogram of fentanyl has the potential to kill 500,000 people, per DEA data.

Yet, for all the gravity of the allegations, not a single local news outlet appears to have covered the story where the suspect is named.

How is this possible in a city where any crumb of scandal gets 24/7 coverage? A search across local news websites—including The Seattle Times, KING-5, Q13 Fox, KOMO-TV—yields zero articles, videos, or even a passing mention. As best as we can tell, Charlie Harger on “Seattle’s Morning News” and parent site MyNorthwest are the only outlets to cover this outside of Seattle Red 770 AM.

Here’s why Seattle media is ignoring this case

The silence is deafening—especially when the case not only hits on public safety, but also taps into one of the most contentious political flashpoints: illegal immigration.

Conservatives and concerned citizens alike are left scratching their heads: how can a Honduran national, allegedly smuggling nearly 900 grams of fentanyl and nearly two kilograms of meth into our city, evade all headlines? One explanation comes to mind.

The liberal media has a known aversion to immigration-based framing, arguing it feeds into “anti-immigrant” narratives. Their argument is absurd, of course. Liberals are the only ones conflating criminal illegal immigrants and immigrants here legally.

Unanswered questions

It’s a missed opportunity to ask the hard questions: How did Hernandez-Velazquez slip back into the country after four deportations? How did he allegedly amass and transport such dangerous quantities of fentanyl and meth? Is there a larger network at play around Seattle? Most importantly—why isn’t anyone talking about it?

At a moment when fentanyl and meth are ravaging communities across Washington state, this case speaks to both a failure of enforcement mechanisms and a failure of journalistic responsibility. The public deserves answers. Seattle media outlets owe it to their readers to dig beyond the silence.

UPDATE: ICE has provided the following statement to The Jason Rantz Show on Seattle Red 770 AM:

“Orbin Daneris Hernandez-Velazquez is an illegal alien from Mexico with an extensive criminal record including three convictions for drug trafficking, four illegal entries, and a recent arrest of unlawful possession of a firearm. He entered the country illegally for the FIFTH time at an unknown date and time.”

Listen to The Jason Rantz Show on weekday afternoons from 3 p.m. – 7 p.m. on Seattle Red on 770 AM (HD Radio 97.3 FM HD-Channel 3). Subscribe to the podcast here. Follow Jason Rantz on X, Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook.

Follow @https://twitter.com/jasonrantz