A South Carolina man, Gerardo Calzada, was sentenced to 78 months in prison after being involved in a large drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed kilograms of cocaine in the United States. On October 31, 2024, Calzada, 34, pleaded guilty to charges of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, along with aiding and abetting the operation.
The investigation began in 2020 when officers from the Apex Police Department initiated a probe into local drug trafficking activities. As the investigation expanded, federal agencies, including the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), became involved. Calzada, along with other individuals, was identified as a distributor for the DTO.
On July 26, 2023, during a surveillance operation, authorities observed Calzada driving a fellow DTO member to a meeting behind a local Food Lion. There, the other member handed Calzada a paper bag before the two left the parking lot. Johnston County Sheriff’s deputies stopped their vehicle, and a consensual search revealed two kilograms of cocaine hidden in cereal boxes, along with a digital scale, a drug ledger, and money transmittal receipts for payments made to Guerrero, Mexico, and Cortes, Honduras.
In a subsequent interview, Calzada admitted to traveling from South Carolina to purchase cocaine and confirmed his involvement in meetings with couriers on at least ten separate occasions.
This case was part of an investigation led by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), which focuses on dismantling high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations.
