A group of 14 drug traffickers linked to Mexican criminal organizations, who circulated hundreds of kilograms of cocaine and fentanyl in Charlotte, North Carolina, and illegally possessed firearms in support of that operation, were sentenced this Wednesday, December 20, after a two-year investigation led by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
Information presented to the court shows that the criminal organization had ties to the Sinaloa cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) by supplying directly from them.
“These sentences are another example of how the Department of Justice is attacking the networks of the Sinaloa and CJNG cartels that They are poisoning the American people with fentanyl and fueling violent crimes in communities across the country,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Cartels are responsible for creating the deadliest drug threat our country has ever faced; “We will continue to attack all aspects of their operations, including their associated drug trafficking organizations in the United States.”
According to court documents and proceedings, from 2017 to 2022, the 14 defendants were members of a large drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for the distribution of cocaine, fentanyl and other narcotics in and around Charlotte.
The multi-agency investigation into the DTO included court-authorized wiretaps, controlled narcotics purchases, extensive surveillance and the execution of dozens of search warrants, where drugs were seized, including approximately 328 kilos of cocaine, 26 kilos of fentanyl and a kilo of heroin, according to court documents and statements made in court.
Additionally, law enforcement seized approximately 60 firearms, 18 high-capacity magazines and ammunition, more than $2.4 million in cash proceeds from drugs; more than 300 thousand dollars in jewelry, two residences, ten vehicles, a boat and two trucks with trailers.
“The prosecution of this trafficking organization with ties to Mexican drug cartels exemplifies our continued efforts to disrupt drug networks, reduce drug-induced gun violence, and build strong, safe communities,” said U.S. Attorney Dena J. King for the Western District of North Carolina.
