Four people were busted in a Central Florida drug conspiracy involving more than 80 kilograms of cocaine.
United States Attorney Roger Handberg recently announced that four Orlando-area residents have pleaded guilty for their roles in a drug distribution conspiracy involving an estimated 89 kilograms of cocaine. 36-year-old Israel Miranda, of Kissimmee, 36-year-old Abiezer Laboy-Lozada, of Orlando, 31-year-old Jorge Antonio Gonzalez de la Fuente, of St. Cloud, and 35-year-old Carlos Antonio Garcia Garcia, of Kissimmee, have each pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute kilograms of cocaine.
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. The conspirators also forfeited $464,031 in cash seized during the case.
According to the plea agreements, the Drug Enforcement Administration identified a group of individuals working to distribute kilogram quantities of cocaine and the proceeds of those sales during 2022. On May 1, 2023, Miranda distributed drugs to Laboy-Lozada in a parking lot. In this and similar meetings during the conspiracy, Laboy-Lozada obtained 20 – 30 kilograms of cocaine from Miranda. 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, which is shown in provided photographs.
According to law enforcement, 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. Gonzalez de la Fuente continued to engage in drug distribution after being charged and was detained when this was discovered.
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 texted a conspirator an image of the stacks of cash he was distributing with the message “should be 110k.”
Similar enforcement actions resulted in the seizure of $51,989 from Miranda on November 7, 2023, and $149,785 from Miranda on March 6, 2024. Over the course of the conspiracy, Miranda distributed drugs or drug proceeds reflecting distribution of more than 89 kilograms of cocaine. Miranda has agreed to forfeit of all the cash seized in the case.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Florida Highway Patrol, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Secret Service, and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dana E. Hill.
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, multi-agency approach.
