Eastern District of North Carolina | Federal jury convicts high-ranking agent in Craven County drug trafficking organization

RALEIGHNC – A federal jury has convicted Lucio Camargo Garcia, a New Bern gunman and leader of a drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for moving kilograms of methamphetamine and fentanyl in and around the Craven County area. Garcia, 45, was convicted of one count of conspiracy, six counts of drug distribution and possession with intent to distribute, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Garcia faces 15 years to life in prison at sentencing, scheduled for later this year.

“We are working with local law enforcement in Eastern North Carolina to dismantle the drug trafficking networks that are fueling the fentanyl crisis,” said District Attorney Michael Easley. “Our Task Force approach combines federal tools with 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 prosecution of his accomplices, has significantly disrupted the flow of methamphetamine and fentanyl into our area across the southwest border. We appreciate the work of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Craven County Sheriff’s Office will continue to work with members of the Task Force to identify, arrest and prosecute major drug traffickers,” said 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 buys 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 two pounds of methamphetamine, 2 pounds of fentanyl (both 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.

Several other individuals associated with the DTO, including its leader, Ivan Leonardo Medina-Beltran (4:22-cr-00075-D-1), and another high-ranking agent, have been charged. Medina-Beltran pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 35 years in prison in 2023. Xavier Garza (4:22-cr-00075-D-3) pleaded guilty to drug trafficking and firearms charges on May 16, 2023. Sentencing in his case is pending.

This investigation was an investigation of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by utilizing 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, the 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, North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, Craven County Sheriff’s Office, and New Bern Police Department are investigating the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine Englander and Caroline Webb prosecute the case.

A copy of this press release can be found on our website. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:22-CR-00075-D-RJ-2.