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176 pounds of cocaine, nearly $500,000 seized from Florida drug distribution group: DOJ

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Published  December 19, 2024 5:08pm EST
Orlando
FOX 35 Orlando
Credit: U.S. Attorney's Office, Middle District of Florida article

Credit: U.S. Attorney's Office, Middle District of Florida

The Brief

    • Federal officials seized nearly $500,000 and more than 176 pounds of cocaine being distributed in Central Florida.
    • Four men have pleaded guilty to federal charges as part of plea agreements in the drug conspiracy case.
    • The men face decades in prison, some up to life, at sentencing, the DOJ said.

ORLANDO, Fla. - Four Orlando-area residents pleaded guilty to federal charges for their roles in a drug distribution conspiracy involving an estimated 176 pounds of cocaine and $464,031 in cash, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

According to the plea agreements, the people involved helped either distribute the drugs or the profits from drug sales over several months in 2023 and 2024. They each face the possibility of spending decades in prison.

The DOJ identified the suspects as:

  • Israel Miranda, 36, Kissimmee
  • Abiezer Laboy-Lozada, 36, Orlando
  • Jorge Antonio Gonzalez, 31, St. Cloud
  • Carlos Antonio Garcia Garcia, 35, Kissimmee

According to the DOJ, in May 2023, Miranda distributed drugs to  Laboy-Lozada in a parking lot. The two continued to meet for various drug sales, the DOJ said.

"On October 4, 2023, Miranda delivered a shoebox to Gonzalez de la Fuente, who then delivered it to Garcia Garcia. When law enforcement stopped his vehicle, Garcia Garcia was found to be carrying the shoebox containing a kilogram of cocaine. During the course of the conspiracy, Gonzalez de la Fuente met with his conspirators two or three times a month and was involved in distributing 15–50 kilograms of cocaine," said U.S. State Attorney said in a news release.

Gonzalez de la Fuente continued to meet two or three times a month with Miranda and Garcia Garcia, the DOJ said, adding that Gonzalez de la Fuente continued to engage in drug distribution activities even after facing other charges.

On October 13, 2023, Miranda delivered drug proceeds to an individual who was found to be transporting $262,257 in a brown paper bag. At the same time, Miranda sent an apparent incriminating text to another co-conspirator.

Between November 2023 and March 2024, authorities seized an additional $200,000 in cash and nearly 200 pounds of cocaine from Miranda, who continued to distribute drugs, officials said. 

Miranda and Laboy-Lozada each face a minimum penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. Gonzalez de la Fuente and Garcia Garcia each face a minimum penalty of 5 years, up to 40 years, in federal prison, officials say.

The Source: This information came from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Middle District of Florida.

OrlandoCrime and Public Safety