California Drug Courier Is Sentenced To Prison For Attempting To Smuggle 20 Pounds Of Cocaine Through Charlotte Airport

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Carlos Fernandez, 33, of Porterville, California, was sentenced today to 87 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for attempting to smuggle 20 pounds of cocaine through the Charlotte-Douglas International Airport, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

Cardell T. Morant, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in North Carolina and South Carolina, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.

According to court documents and court proceedings, on July 27, 2021, law enforcement conducting routine interdiction operations at the Charlotte-Douglas International Airport questioned Fernandez for suspected drug trafficking, after a drug detecting dog alerted to the presence of narcotics in the defendant’s suitcase. Fernandez had just arrived in Charlotte on a flight that originated in California. Court documents show that law enforcement searched Fernandez’s suitcase and found a smaller suitcase that contained three vacuum-sealed packages, or “bricks.” A lab analysis of the bricks confirmed that the substance was cocaine, weighing approximately nine kilograms, or 20 pounds, total. A forensic analysis of Fernandez’s seized cell phones revealed messages discussing drug trafficking activity. During the investigation, law enforcement also determined that Fernandez had frequently traveled between California and Charlotte as a drug courier.

On November 7, 2023, Fernandez pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine and aiding and abetting. He is in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked HSI and CMPD for their investigation of the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Shavonn Bennette of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.