NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — A tractor trailer rolling into a leased garage here became the epicenter of a federal drug takedown after law enforcement uncovered 119 pounds of cocaine and over $1 million in cash. Marvin O’Neal Carter, Sr., 49, of Newport News; Michael Stephen Kuna, 42, of Canada; Daniel Rodriguez, 49, and Hilario Rodriguez, 50, both of California, were indicted this morning on charges tied to a sprawling cocaine trafficking conspiracy.
The operation unraveled when DEA and FBI agents watched Kuna and the Rodriguez brothers arrive at Carter’s garage lot shortly after a suspicious trailer was offloaded. Surveillance captured all four men allegedly unloading cocaine from hidden compartments beneath the trailer. Moments later, Kuna was seen loading two duffel bags with green straps into a vehicle — bags that reeked of wet currency during a subsequent traffic stop by agents.
Simultaneous federal search warrants executed on the garage and trailer yielded approximately 54 kilograms (119 pounds) of cocaine and 100 shrink-wrapped cash bundles, each containing between $5,000 and $10,000. Inside the garage, agents also seized a loaded firearm, a stash of heroin, and $42,000 more from a wall safe — evidence prosecutors say cements Carter’s role as a key distributor.
Carter faces additional charges beyond the conspiracy, including possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, heroin distribution, possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime, and maintaining a drug-involved premises. Daniel and Hilario Rodriguez are charged with interstate travel in aid of racketeering — a nod to their cross-country involvement in the scheme.
If convicted, each defendant faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in federal prison and a maximum sentence of life. The charges, announced by U.S. Attorney Dana J. Boente and top officials from the DEA, FBI, Newport News Police, and Hampton Police, signal a major disruption in a suspected multi-state drug network.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Howard J. Zlotnick and Amy E. Cross are leading the prosecution. The case, filed under 4:16-cr-76 in the Eastern District of Virginia, remains pending. An indictment is not a conviction — all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
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Key Facts
- State: Virginia
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: Official Source ↗
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