Mexican who led Charlotte-area cocaine ring sentenced

A Mexican who led a Charlotte-area cocaine ring was sentenced to 19  1/2 years in federal prison on Monday.

Florencio Apreza-Guerrero, 38, pleaded guilty in March to drug trafficking conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy.

Six co-conspirators, including four from Mexico and two from Monroe, are already serving prison terms.

Apreza-Guerrero and the others from Mexico will face deportation proceedings once they finish their sentences, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte said.

The ring trafficked large amounts of cocaine into Mecklenburg and Union counties from 2013 to 2016, court records show.

Authorities seized about 35 kilograms of cocaine, seven firearms and $138,000 in cash during the investigation, according to court documents. Apreza-Guerrero’s drug network trafficked 40 to 50 kilograms of cocaine per month, records show.

A kilogram of cocaine in Charlotte is worth $27,000 to $31,000 according to NarcoticNews.com. By that measure, 40 kilograms of cocaine would be worth at least $1 million.

Other ring members from Mexico who were sentenced are Pedro Valle-Barrera, 38, of Mexico, 11 years, 2  1/2 months; Ivan Ortiz Lezama, 30, also known as Tomas Barajas-Rodriguez, 10 years; Juan Cesar Valle-Barrera, 33, 6  1/2 years; Alberto Manuel Arreola, 38, 5  1/2 years.

Monroe residents Hever Garcia-Delgado, 33, and Alfonso Guevera-Garcia, 23, were sentenced to a respective 3 years, 7 months, and 2 years in prison.

This story was originally published July 31, 2017 at 5:59 PM with the headline "Mexican who led Charlotte-area cocaine ring sentenced."