GASTONIA, N.C. — Gastonia police arrested two suspects Tuesday after seizing six kilograms of fentanyl valued at $750,000 and over $100,000 in cash during a targeted drug operation.
Investigators arrested Sergio Martinez-Avalos, 50 and Karina Mondragon-Gamino, 37, following a search at a local residence.
Detectives initiated the investigation after receiving intelligence from law enforcement partners in Louisiana identifying Martinez-Avalos as a large-scale drug trafficker. Officers developed the case and executed a search warrant at his home Tuesday evening.
Police said the operation disrupted the flow of illicit drug money intended for a Mexican drug cartel.
Martinez-Avalos faces two counts of level three trafficking, one count of money laundering and one count of maintaining a dwelling or vehicle for a controlled substance. He also had an outstanding arrest warrant in Louisiana and is subject to an immigration hold.
Mondragon-Gamino, 37, was charged with two counts of level three trafficking, one count of money laundering and one count of maintaining a dwelling or vehicle for a controlled substance. She is also subject to an immigration hold.
The Gastonia Police Department conducted the investigation with assistance from the Gaston County Sheriff’s Office, Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office, Mount Holly Police Department and North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation.