Federal Jury Convicts High-Level Operative in Craven County Drug Trafficking Organization

RALEIGH, N.C. - A federal jury convicted Lucio Camargo Garcia, an armed New Bern drug trafficker and leader in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for moving kilogram quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl in and around the Craven County area. Garcia, age 45, was convicted on one count of conspiracy, six counts of drug distribution and possession with intent to distribute, and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Garcia faces between 15 years and life imprisonment at sentencing, which is scheduled for later this year.

"We are partnering with local law enforcement across Eastern North Carolina to dismantle the drug trafficking networks fueling the fentanyl crisis," said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. "Our Task Force approach brings federal tools alongside local intelligence to prioritize kilogram-level traffickers like Lucio Camagro Garcia and other members of the Medina-Beltran Organization."

"This investigation, and Garcia's conviction, along with the prosecutions of his co-conspirators has substantially disrupted the flow of methamphetamine and fentanyl coming into our area from the southwestern border. We appreciate the work of the U.S Attorney's Office, and the Craven County Sheriff's Office will continue to partner with Task Force members to identify, arrest, and prosecute major drug traffickers," stated Craven County Sheriff Chip Hughes.

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, in 2021, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Craven County Sheriff's Office, the New Bern Police Department, the State Bureau of Investigation, and other state and local agencies launched an investigation into a large-scale DTO responsible for acquiring kilogram quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl from the southwest border and distributing them in and around Craven County. Through the use of confidential sources, surveillance, and controlled purchases, Garcia was identified as a methamphetamine and fentanyl distributor responsible for distributing ounce-level quantities to other dealers, and smaller quantities to drug users.

From January to October 2022, law enforcement conducted multiple controlled purchases of methamphetamine and fentanyl from Garcia. On October 31, 2022, search warrants were executed at residences associated with the DTO, including Garcia's residence. Law enforcement seized approximately one kilogram of methamphetamine, 900 grams of fentanyl (powder and pill form), and a loaded firearm from Garcia's residence. Most of the drugs were found in a secret compartment in the ceiling of Garcia's bedroom closet.

Multiple other individuals associated with the DTO, including its leader, Ivan Leonardo Medina-Beltran, and one other high-level operative have been indicted. Medina-Beltran pled guilty and was sentenced to 35 years in prison in 2023. Xavier Garza pled guilty to drug trafficking and firearm charges on May 16, 2023. Sentencing is pending in his case.

This investigation was an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launders, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III accepted the verdict. The DEA, HSI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, the Craven County Sheriff's Office, and the New Bern Police Department, are investigating the case and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine Englander and Caroline Webb are prosecuting the case.

The DEA encourages parents, along with their children, to educate themselves about the dangers of legal and illegal drugs by visiting DEA's interactive websites at www.JustThinkTwice.com(link is external), www.GetSmartAboutDrugs.com(link is external), www.CampusDrugPrevention.gov, and www.dea.gov. Also follow DEA Atlanta via Twitter at @DEAATLANTADiv(link is external)

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