Prosecutors stated Tuesday that a California man will serve over seven years for trying to smuggle 20 pounds of cocaine through Charlotte Douglas International Airport in 2021.
Carlos Fernandez, 33, received 87 months in prison and three years of probation for the offense. He was detained at Charlotte’s airport on July 27, 2021, when a drug dog found drugs in his suitcase. According to court documents, police stopped Fernandez in Charlotte after he arrived from California. A search of his luggage revealed a smaller suitcase with three vacuum-sealed cocaine “bricks”.
Fernandez possessed 9 kilograms (20 pounds) of cocaine, according to lab tests. He admitted assisting and abetting and cocaine possession with intent to distribute in November 2023.
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Fernandez often delivered drugs between California and Charlotte, according to investigators. Fernandez’s drug trafficking texts were found on seized phones. Fernandez is federally detained.
