Man heads to prison for trying to smuggle 20 pounds of cocaine through CLT

CHARLOTTE — A California man has been sentenced to prison for trying to smuggle 20 pounds of cocaine through the Charlotte Douglas International Airport, federal prosecutors said.

Authorities intercepted Carlos Fernandez, 33, at the airport on July 27, 2021. Law enforcement caught him when a drug-detecting dog alerted them to drugs in his suitcase.

Fernandez had arrived in Charlotte on a flight from California.

Officers searched Fernandez’s suitcase and found a smaller suitcase inside with three vacuum-sealed packages. The substance inside the packages was found to be cocaine and weighed about 20 pounds (9 kilograms).

On Fernandez’s cellphone, authorities said they found messages talking about drug trafficking.

Authorities also discovered Fernandez had frequently traveled between California and Charlotte as a drug courier.

On Nov. 7, 2023, Fernandez pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine and aiding and abetting. He was sentenced to seven years and three months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.

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