ORLANDO, Fla. – Four Orlando-area residents have pleaded guilty for their roles in a narcotics distribution conspiracy involving an estimated 89 kilograms of cocaine following a joint Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Orlando.
Israel Miranda, 36, of Kissimmee; Abiezer Laboy-Lozada, 36, of Orlando; Jorge Antonio Gonzalez de la Fuente, 31, of St. Cloud; and Carlos Antonio Garcia Garcia, 35, of Kissimmee, have each pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute kilograms of cocaine. Miranda and Laboy-Lozada each face a minimum penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. Gonzalez de la Fuente and Garcia Garcia each face a minimum penalty of five years, up to 40 years, in federal prison. The conspirators also forfeited $464,031 in cash seized during the case.
According to the plea agreements, the Drug Enforcement Administration identified a group of individuals working to distribute kilogram quantities of cocaine and the proceeds of those sales during 2022. On May 1, 2023, Miranda distributed drugs to Laboy-Lozada in a parking lot. In this and similar meetings during the conspiracy, Laboy-Lozada obtained 20 - 30 kilograms of cocaine from Miranda. On Oct. 4, 2023, Miranda delivered a shoebox to Gonzalez de la Fuente, who then delivered it to Garcia Garcia. When law enforcement stopped his vehicle, Garcia Garcia was found to be carrying the shoebox containing a kilogram of cocaine.
During the course of the conspiracy, Gonzalez de la Fuente met with his conspirators two or three times a month and was involved in distributing 15 - 50 kilograms of cocaine. Gonzalez de la Fuente continued to engage in drug distribution after being charged and was detained when this was discovered.
On Oct. 13, 2023, Miranda delivered drug proceeds to an individual who was found to be transporting $262,257 in a brown paper bag. At the same time, Miranda texted a conspirator an image of the stacks of cash he was distributing with the message “should be 110k.”
Similar enforcement actions resulted in the seizure of $51,989 from Miranda on Nov. 7, 2023, and $149,785 from Miranda on March 6, 2024. Over the course of the conspiracy, Miranda distributed drugs or drug proceeds reflecting distribution of more than 89 kilograms of cocaine. Miranda has agreed to forfeit of all the cash seized in the case.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations, the Florida Highway Patrol, the U.S. Secret Service, and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dana E. Hill.
This case was part of an OCDETF investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For additional information about the OCDETF Program please visit the website.
HSI Tampa area of responsibility, which includes ten geographically strategic offices, covers more than 51,600 square miles of the total 65,757 square miles in the state of Florida. This region has more than 14.2 million people and includes 58 of the 67 counties. HSI Tampa also includes five of the ten largest cities in Florida, 15 primary commercial service airports, and 11 seaports.
Learn more about HSI Tampa’s mission to increase public safety in Florida communities on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @HSITampa.