RALEIGH – A man from Sampson County was sentenced Wednesday to 17 years in prison after he was caught with 30 kilograms of drugs and 9 firearms. On November 7, 2024, Antonio Tamoya Mondragon pled guilty to his charges.
According to court documents, Mondragon, age 45, was born in Mexico and illegally entered the United States. Mondragon started distributing drugs as early as 2008. Law enforcement began investigating Mondragon in 2019 and conducted controlled purchases of pure methamphetamine from him on three occasions.
The investigation culminated in a traffic stop with followed by a search warrant on April 18, 2023. On that day, law enforcement was conducting early morning surveillance at Mondragon’s house. Mondragon and others appeared to be transferring packages into a car. In a traffic stop, law enforcement found just under 9 kilograms of cocaine hidden in the car’s headliner.
As the traffic stop was executed, law enforcement observed a flurry of activity back at Mondragon’s house followed by a second car departing. This car was later searched. Inside was 7 kilograms of fentanyl, 9 kilograms of cocaine, 2 kilograms of heroin, 144 grams of methamphetamine, and a drug ledger. The car also had 8 guns inside with ammunition.
Law enforcement then searched Mondragon’s house and seized $28,881 in cash and another gun. Subsequent interviews and investigation made clear that the drugs, guns, and cash all belonged to Mondragon.
Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The DEA, Sampson County Sherriff’s Office, and SBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tyler Lemons prosecuted the case.
Hopefully he will be deported instead us paying the 110,000 a year it takes to imprison him. I know this is not a popular opinion amongst dems but why should we pay to keep him up? I know people will say if you send them back to his home country he’ll just come back, but I doubt that under this administration. Perhaps the next if they’re weak Again on border security…. And hopefully he would be imprisoned in his home country where things aren’t so nice.
I have to agree with you Save Us. He shouldn’t cost Americans another penny, deport and imprisonment in his own country. I’m not a very conservative person, but we all must agree what the right things to do are exactly what they are.