Mexican man sentenced to 35 years in NC for trafficking cocaine

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A Mexican man accused of trafficking in more than $30 million of cocaine was sentenced to 35 years in federal prison Tuesday following an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Rowan County Sheriff's Office (RCSO).

Jorge Molina-Sanchez, 35, of Mexico, was convicted by a federal jury in May 2013 of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute at least five kilograms of cocaine and at least one kilogram of heroin, conspiracy to launder proceeds of drug trafficking, possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.

According to filed court documents, trial evidence and today's sentencing hearing, from 2004 to 2011, Molina-Sanchez and his conspirators obtained more than 350 kilograms of cocaine with a street value of more than $30 million from a supplier in California. Molina-Sanchez and his conspirators transported and distributed the cocaine to traffickers in North Carolina who then sold it throughout the state. Court records show that to transport the drugs without being detected, Molina-Sanchez and his conspirators hid the drugs and drug proceeds in secret car compartments. During the investigation, law enforcement found hundreds of thousands of dollars, three kilograms of cocaine, and a kilogram of heroin, all hidden in various locations within vehicles. When officers arrested Molina-Sanchez in October 2012, he was in possession of almost three ounces of cocaine, two handguns, and more than 100 rounds of ammunition, according to court records. Finally, based on evidence elicited at Molina-Sanchez's May 2013 trial, law enforcement, post-trial, conducted a search of one of his vehicles and found a hidden compartment containing almost $50,000 in cash and three handguns.

This prosecution is part of an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) that has resulted in the conviction of 14 defendants on cocaine trafficking, money laundering and firearms charges. OCDETF is a joint federal, state and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation's primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department and its crime laboratory, the Iredell County Sheriff's Office and its crime laboratory, and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation provided assistance with this investigation. The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven R. Kaufman.