Interstate Cocaine Trafficker Caught with 20 Kilos Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison

Duffle bag filled with cocaine

Carlos ALMONTE PALMERS, convicted for his role in an interstate narcotics trafficking organization, received a 14-year prison sentence for Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the First Degree yesterday afternoon following a jury trial prosecuted by the Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor for the City of New York. The sentence was imposed in Manhattan Supreme Court by Acting Supreme Court Justice Sara Litman, who presided over the two-week trial that concluded with a conviction on June 26, 2026.

The multi-agency investigation into interstate narcotics trafficking resulted in the seizure of approximately 20 kilograms (nearly 45 pounds) of cocaine, carrying a street value of more than $1 million, from a Jeep Grand Cherokee driven by ALMONTE PALMERS on March 13, 2024. Members of U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) New York Task Force Division Group T-41 tracked the vehicle from Connecticut through New York City to a truck stop in New Jersey, where ALMONTE PALMERS picked up the load of cocaine.

As detailed at yesterday’s sentencing, ALMONTE PALMERS faced a minimum of 12 years in prison due to his status as a predicate felon. He was previously deported from New York to the Dominican Republic in 2022, after serving an eight-year sentence for a prior Bronx conviction for Attempted Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the First Degree.

DEA New York Task Force Division Group T-41 is comprised of agents and officers from DEA New York Division, the New York City Police Department (NYPD), and the New York State Police, with assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service New York Division.

Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget G. Brennan said, “The sentence imposed in this case reflects the devastating impact of high-level narcotics trafficking. Thousands of precious lives across the US are lost to cocaine related overdose each year – often when cocaine is mixed with fentanyl and other deadly substances.  Our office and partner agencies relentless track and prosecute narcotics organizations that rake in millions by endangering the lives of our friends, neighbors, and loved ones.”

“This 14-year prison sentence sends a clear message to those looking to use our nation’s highways to traffic deadly narcotics into our communities, that your actions will have consequences,” stated DEA New York Task Force Division Special Agent in Charge Christopher Roberts. “The seizure of nearly 45 pounds of cocaine prevented more than a million dollars’ worth of poison from reaching neighborhoods throughout New York and the Northeast corridor. This outcome is the result of relentless investigative work and seamless coordination among our federal, state, and local partners. I commend the outstanding efforts of the DEA New York Task Force Division, comprised of DEA Special Agents and Task Force Officers from the NYPD and NYS Police. I also would like to extend my sincere appreciation to our prosecuting partners, whose unwavering commitment ensured this dangerous trafficker was brought to justice. Together, we remain committed to disrupting the criminal organizations that profit from addiction and violence.”

“This defendant attempted to flood our city with nearly 45 pounds of cocaine, but our interagency task force was there to stop him,” said NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch. “Our investigators tracked down the defendant’s car as he crossed state lines, and because of their diligent work, those drugs never made it to our streets. I thank our NYPD investigators and the Special Narcotics Prosecutor’s Office for their commitment to identifying drug traffickers and working together to hold these criminals accountable.”

On March 13, 2024, at approximately 7 p.m., members of NYDETF Group T-41 conducted surveillance as the white Jeep Grand Cherokee, registered to ALMONTE PALMERS in Massachusetts, travelled southbound on I-95 from the New York State/Connecticut border. Geolocation data showed the Jeep had started traveling at or around Lawrence, Mass. The Jeep crossed into the Bronx and Manhattan, and then over the George Washington Bridge towards New Jersey.

At approximately 7:50 p.m., the Jeep stopped at the Alexander Hamilton Travel Plaza in Secaucus, N.J., and pulled beside a large tractor trailer. Minutes later, the Jeep drove away heading towards New York City and into the Bronx. Agents and officers stopped the vehicle on the Major Deegan Expressway near the Cross County Parkway exit in Yonkers an hour later and recovered a large duffel bag stuffed with rectangular objects that proved to be 20 kilograms of narcotics. DEA laboratory analysis later identified the seized narcotics as cocaine.

Evidence presented at trial demonstrated that ALMONTE PALMERS made similar same-day trips on several prior occasions from Massachusetts to the New York City area.

Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget Brennan thanked Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark, and commended Assistant District Attorneys Oleg M. Shik and Luke X. Flynn-Fitzsimmons of SNP’s Special Investigations Bureau, Trial Preparation Assistant Kayla Paolicelli, Senior Trial Preparation Assistant Kristine Lamburini, J. Patrick Slattery, Deputy in Charge, Digital Forensics and Litigation Unit, and Investigative Analyst Natalie Vitale for their work on the prosecution and trial. She also commended the DEA New York Task Force Division, the New York City Police Department, the New York State Police, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service New York Division for their work on the investigation.