A drug dealer with ties to a violent Mexican gang told police that long-haul truck drivers helped the operation by bringing drugs and cash into and out of the U.S.
Oralia Rodriguez Flores pleaded guilty in federal court on Friday to three charges that she helped the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), also known as the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, hide drugs and money.
For forty years, Flores lived in Clayton, North Carolina. He pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to sell cocaine and methamphetamine, one count of distribution of methamphetamine, and one count of conspiracy to launder money. She could spend the rest of her life in jail.
Information gathered by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration shows that Flores admitted to selling cocaine and methamphetamine in South Carolina for about three years.
In an interview with police, she said that five or six times, she “met drivers of 18-wheeler trucks” to pick up cocaine brought in from Mexico. Each load had about 10 kilograms of cocaine. She could sell it to people in South Carolina for $22,000 a kilogram.
Flores also used business truck drivers to send money from selling drugs back to Mexico. According to a press release, she admitted that she gave truck drivers more than $1 million in cash and that she sent drug money to Asian money launderers who sent it to Mexico, where it came from.
Robert Murphy, special agent in charge of the DEA’s Atlanta Division, said in the statement, “Oralia Rodriguez Flores put a lot of people in danger by trafficking large amounts of deadly methamphetamine and cocaine.” “She helped members of the violent CJNG cartel get drugs and clean their money on purpose and with knowledge.”
Michael, the U.S. attorney, said that the CJNG was one of the most dangerous drug gangs in Mexico.
“Their cruel rule is paid for by drug money coming back to cartel leaders from the United States,” he said. “We plan to weaken the whole criminal network by going after the drug traffickers who bring drugs to the Carolinas and stopping the money from going back to Mexico.”
Trump’s crackdown is coming
During the campaign, Donald Trump hinted that he would crack down on the drug trade between the U.S. and Mexico. Trump chose Republican congressman Mike Waltz to be his national security adviser. Last year, Waltz presented a bill that would allow the military to go after Mexican drug cartels.
On Monday, Trump stepped up the pressure by saying he would put a 25% tax on all imports from Mexico and Canada. This is meant to stop drugs and illegal immigrants from coming into the U.S.
“Canada and Mexico both have the full right and power to solve this long-standing problem easily,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. We are telling them they need to use this power or they will have to pay a very high price!