United States Drug Enforcement Administration

NEWARK, N.J. - - Carl J. Kotowski, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Jersey Division and Paul J. Fishman, U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey announced  today a California man admitted his role in a conspiracy to traffic approximately 12 kilograms of cocaine from California to New Jersey.

Jesus Raul Iribe, 38, of Riverside, California, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Kevin McNulty to an information charging him with one count of conspiring to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine.

On Feb. 8, 2013, law enforcement recorded and observed meetings between Iribe and other conspirators in which they allegedly planned to use a tractor-trailer to transport cocaine from California to New Jersey and other destinations along the East Coast. Eventually, law enforcement followed the tractor trailer to Bronx, New York, where they recovered a produce box containing 12 kilograms of cocaine.

Today, Iribe admitted that he conspired with others to traffic the cocaine from California to New Jersey. He must also forfeit $446,310 in cash, three handguns, and an AR-1 assault rifle that were recovered when he was arrested in March 2015.

The distribution charge to which Iribe pleaded guilty carries a mandatory penalty of five years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of 40 years in prison, and $5 million fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 4, 2016.

U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents and task force officers of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Jersey Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Carl J. Kotowski in Newark, the DEA Los Angeles Field Office, and the Fontana, California Police Department.