Second Man Pleads Guilty in Record NJ Meth Haul

So whatCarriers & Owner-operators: a tractor-trailer was used to move record-size drug loads interstate; tighten cargo chain-of-custody and driver vetting on long-haul runs.

FreightFiles Desk | October 30, 2026

Carlos H. Cordero-Gutierrez, 54, of Juarez City, Mexico, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Karen M. Williams in Camden federal court to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey said. According to court documents, Cordero-Gutierrez picked up a shipment of methamphetamine in a tractor-trailer in Texas in April 2026 and drove it to New Jersey, arriving April 28. When he reached a pre-arranged delivery point, law enforcement arrested him and a co-conspirator, Marcos Cesar Acosta. Officers found three storage boxes, a duffel bag and a garbage bag in the truck cab, all containing methamphetamine. The total haul weighed more than 260 pounds, which the office called the largest methamphetamine seizure in New Jersey history. The charge carries a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison, plus a fine of up to $10 million. Acosta pleaded guilty in August 2026 to the same conspiracy charge. The investigation involved the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation.

What's next

2026-12-17: Acosta's sentencing hearing.
2027-03-23: Cordero-Gutierrez's sentencing hearing.

All sources

Second Defendant in Largest Methamphetamine Seizure in New Jersey History Admits to Drug Distribution Conspiracy — U.S. Department of Justice (U.S. Attorney's Office, District of New Jersey), 2026-10-27

Second Man Pleads Guilty in Record NJ Meth Haul — Illustration generated for FreightFiles.