RALEIGH, NC – Oralia Rodriguez-Flores, a 40-year-old North Carolina woman, has been sentenced to 11 years in federal prison for trafficking large quantities of cocaine and methamphetamine on behalf of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) and laundering millions in drug proceeds.
The sentencing was announced on August 20, 2025, by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina. Rodriguez-Flores had previously pleaded guilty to multiple federal charges, including:
Conspiracy to commit money laundering
Conspiracy to distribute 5 kg or more of cocaine
Conspiracy to distribute 500 g or more of methamphetamine
Distribution of 500 g or more of methamphetamine
According to investigators, between June 2021 and June 2024, Rodriguez-Flores coordinated the shipment of narcotics from Mexico into the U.S., using 18-wheeler trucks to transport and distribute the drugs, primarily to customers in South Carolina. She also played a key role in laundering the drug proceeds, funneling over $1 million in cash back to the cartel in Mexico.
Key events in the investigation include:
January 16, 2023: Rodriguez-Flores delivered 4 kg of cocaine to a South Carolina drug trafficking organization.
January 5, 2024: She sold 891.2 grams of 97% pure methamphetamine.
February 2, 2024: Authorities seized 40 kg of cocaine from her semi-truck in Kentucky.
She was also found carrying $39,391 in cash linked to drug proceeds.
Rodriguez-Flores admitted to paying commercial truck drivers to move the drugs across state lines. In total, she coordinated at least five major shipments—each carrying roughly 10 kg of cocaine from Mexico. Methamphetamine was also routed through California, then mailed to South Carolina.
She laundered the proceeds through money service businesses, cash handoffs, and even Asian money laundering networks, according to federal agents. Her actions directly benefited the Jalisco New Generation Cartel—one of the most dangerous criminal organizations operating internationally.
“Rodriguez-Flores thought she could hide behind money laundering schemes and drug trafficking networks, but she thought wrong,” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle.
“This outcome is the result of dedicated work by law enforcement at every level,” added Jae W. Chung, Acting Special Agent in Charge for the DEA Atlanta Division.
The investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the IRS Criminal Investigations Division.
