ORLANDO, Fla. — A Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Orlando investigation led to a guilty plea for possession with the intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine.
Christian Noel Medina Torres, 35, of Lakeland, faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years in federal prison.
According to the plea agreement, an undercover agent with HSI arranged to sell Medina Torres 10 kilograms of cocaine in exchange for two Can-Am off-road vehicles and any cash Medina Torres could provide. On April 17, 2023, Medina Torres arrived in Volusia County with the two off-road vehicles and approximately $6,000 in cash. In exchange, the undercover agent provided Medina Torres a bag containing 10 kilograms of cocaine. After Medina Torres took the bag and began walking away, he was taken into custody.
His sentencing hearing is set for early May.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the Middle District of Florida Courtney D. Richardson-Jones and Megan Testerman.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multiagency approach.
About HSI
HSI is the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, specifically those criminal organizations that exploit the global infrastructure through which international trade, travel and finance move. HSI’s workforce of more than 8,700 employees consists of more than 6,000 special agents assigned to 237 cities throughout the United States, and 93 overseas locations in 56 countries. HSI’s international presence represents DHS’ largest investigative law enforcement presence abroad and one of the largest international footprints in U.S. law enforcement.