Carlos Fernandez, 33, was caught with 9 kilograms of cocaine in Charlotte, NC at the Charlotte Douglas International Airport. Carlos was traveling from Porterville, California to sell cocaine.
Carlos was sentenced to 87 months in prison on August 27, 2024 followed by three years of supervised release. Charlotte Alerts is on Instagram.
Carlos attempted to smuggle 9 bricks of cocaine through the Charlotte Douglas International Airport.
On July 27, 2021, law enforcement conducting routine interdiction operations at the Charlotte Douglas International Airport questioned Carlos for suspected drug trafficking, after a drug detecting dog alerted to the presence of narcotics in the defendant’s suitcase.
Carlos had just arrived in Charlotte on a flight that originated in California. Law enforcement searched Carlos’s suitcase and found a smaller suitcase that contained three vacuum sealed packages.
A lab analysis of the packages confirmed that the substance was cocaine, weighing approximately nine kilograms, or 20 pounds, total. Carlos was arrested charged with trafficking drugs.
A forensic analysis of Carlos’s seized cell phones revealed messages discussing drug trafficking activity.
During the investigation, law enforcement also determined that Carlos had frequently traveled between California and Charlotte as a drug courier.
On November 7, 2023, Carlos pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine and aiding and abetting.
