Packages of cocaine and methamphetamine seized by law enforcement during the investigation of Clayton woman Oralia Rodriguez-Flores, who was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison for drug trafficking and money laundering.
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Clayton Woman Sentenced to 11 Years for Laundering Millions, Trafficking Cocaine and Meth in NC

Phyllis Coley @phyllis_coley

WILMINGTON, N.C. – A Clayton woman has been sentenced to 11 years in federal prison for her role in laundering millions of dollars and trafficking large quantities of cocaine and methamphetamine across North Carolina.

Oralia Rodriguez-Flores, 40, pleaded guilty in late 2024 to conspiracy to commit money laundering, conspiracy to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine and 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, and distributing methamphetamine.

Federal Authorities Respond

“Let this case stand as a warning to those willing to help cartels poison our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle. “We will target your drugs, your finances, and your profits and seize them. Then we will ensure you spend decades in prison. Cartel crime will not pay in Eastern North Carolina.”

DEA Acting Special Agent in Charge Jae W. Chung added, “This outcome is the result of dedicated work by law enforcement at every level. The DEA remains committed to pursuing those who traffic dangerous drugs and profit off addiction.”

Cocaine and Meth Trafficking Operation

Packages of cocaine and methamphetamine seized by law enforcement during the investigation of Clayton woman Oralia Rodriguez-Flores, who was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison
Packages of cocaine and methamphetamine seized by federal agents during the investigation of Oralia Rodriguez-Flores, a Clayton woman sentenced to 11 years in prison for drug trafficking and money laundering. (Photo: U.S. Justice Dept.)

According to court documents, between June 2021 and June 2024, Rodriguez-Flores distributed multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine and methamphetamine shipped from Mexico. She also laundered the drug proceeds back to Mexico.

  • In January 2023, agents discovered she supplied cocaine to a South Carolina drug trafficking organization (DTO) and delivered 4 kilograms of cocaine.
  • In January 2024, she sold nearly 900 grams of 97% pure methamphetamine.
  • Later that month, agents seized $39,391 in cash from Rodriguez-Flores after she traveled to Kentucky to collect drug proceeds.
  • On February 2, 2024, agents seized 40 kilograms of cocaine from her semi-trailer truck in Kentucky.

Rodriguez-Flores admitted her involvement in the cartel-linked scheme, distributing drugs throughout the Carolinas and laundering millions of dollars back to Mexico.

Federal Task Force Investigation

Her case is part of an investigation led by the Eastern District of North Carolina’s Illicit Finance Task Force (IFTF), created in 2024 in partnership with the Treasury Executive Office of Asset Forfeiture (TEOAF). The IFTF is designed to combat large-scale money laundering through strategic use of criminal and civil law.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and IRS Criminal Investigations handled the case, prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Toby Lathan and Charles Loeser.

Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II presided over the sentencing.