Iredell County drug bust may be connected to cartel, investigators say

IREDELL COUNTY, N.C. — Investigators said suspects behind one of the largest drug busts in Iredell County could be linked to a dangerous cartel.

[Deputies seize $5M worth of meth in largest bust in Iredell County history]

That case is now in the hands of federal authorities. The four suspects made their initial appearances before a federal judge Friday.

In November, investigators showed Eyewitness News the 30 pounds of meth and $130,000 deputies confiscated on the interstate, officials said. Deputies were conducting training and were suspicious when they saw vehicles meeting at a gas station before taking off in different directions down Intersection 77.

Deputies said they found John Gray with a backpack filled with cash. Court documents show that during the stop, Gray pointed to a Nissan and said to authorities something like, "Stop the Mexican driving," and, "They're going to kill my family!"

(Rofelle Nash, Paul Glover III, Christian Hernandez, John Gray)

Authorities arrested Christian Delgado-Hernandez. They also said they stopped Rofelle Nash with 30 pounds of meth and stopped Paul Glover in another vehicle.

The sheriff and an attorney who's handled similar cases told Eyewitness News that the amount and purity of the drugs, along with the threat to a family, point to the work of an international cartel.

"When you're dealing with weights that big, it certainly involves a cartel helping get those kinds of drugs into the U.S.," criminal defense attorney Rob Heroy said.

Eyewitness News anchor Brittney Johnson questioned Gray's attorney outside of court Friday.

"These are very serious charges. At this time, since it's an ongoing matter, we will not be commenting," defense attorney David Freedman said.

Investigators accused the suspects of arranging trips to West Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina.

Heroy said with the suspects and drugs off the streets, the cartel took a hit.

"It's sizeable, and whoever financed it is obviously going to be very upset, but it's not going to stop the wheels," Heroy said.

All four suspects could face life in prison if convicted. Three have hired defense attorneys.

Cox Media Group