Record Meth Seizure in New Jersey: Guilty Plea Entered

A Mexican national has pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute over 260 pounds of methamphetamine in what authorities describe as the largest methamphetamine seizure in New Jersey's history. Carlos H. Cordero-Gutierrez, 54, from Juarez City, Mexico, entered his guilty plea before U.

S. District Judge Karen M. Williams in Camden federal court, the U.

S. Attorney's Office announced.

Cordero-Gutierrez admitted to the charges of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, which stem from an incident in April 2026. According to court documents and statements, Cordero-Gutierrez picked up a shipment of methamphetamine in Texas and transported it to New Jersey using a tractor-trailer truck. Upon his arrival in New Jersey on April 28, 2026, law enforcement officers arrested him and his co-conspirator, Marcos Cesar Acosta, at a pre-arranged delivery location.

The officers seized over 260 pounds of methamphetamine from the truck, stored in three black storage boxes, a duffel bag, and a garbage bag. This significant seizure marks the largest of its kind in New Jersey, highlighting the scale of the operation.

The charge of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine carries severe penalties, including a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of life imprisonment, and a fine of up to $10,000,000. Cordero-Gutierrez is scheduled to be sentenced on March 23, 2027.

Marcos Cesar Acosta, who was arrested alongside Cordero-Gutierrez, also pleaded guilty to the same charge on August 5, 2026. His sentencing is set for December 17, 2026.

The investigation leading to these guilty pleas was conducted by special agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) MOPOD Enforcement Group 11 and the DEA Camden Resident Office. The operation received additional support from the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and IRS-Criminal Investigation.

Assistant U. S. Attorney Jonathan S.

Garelick of the U. S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Trenton is representing the government in this case.

Defense counsel for Cordero-Gutierrez is James P. Maguire, Esq. , from the Office of the Federal Public Defender, while Marcos Cesar Acosta is represented by Margaret M.

Grasso, Esq.

This case underscores the collaborative efforts of federal agencies to combat drug trafficking and highlights the significant legal consequences for those involved in such operations. The guilty pleas mark a critical step in the judicial process, with both defendants awaiting sentencing in the coming months.