A Mexican citizen, Norma Flores-Fernandez, also known as "Norma Camarillo," has admitted to conspiring to distribute heroin and cocaine in the United States. The announcement was made by Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna. Flores-Fernandez, 56, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Esther Salas in Newark federal court.
Flores-Fernandez was involved with a drug trafficking organization based in Guadalajara, Mexico. This group distributed large quantities of narcotics across the United States from March 2018 to December 2019. She acknowledged her leadership role within this conspiracy.
The charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a maximum of 40 years in prison, along with a potential fine of up to $5 million. Sentencing is set for July 23, 2025.
Acting U.S. Attorney Khanna credited special agents and task force officers from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) under Special Agent in Charge Sheila G. Lyons in Chicago and Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Ortiz in Newark for their investigative work leading to the guilty plea. He also acknowledged assistance from Customs and Border Protection under Director of Field Operations Lafonda Sutton-Burke in Chicago, DEA agents operating in Lima and Guadalajara, Homeland Security Investigations in Chicago, and officials in Mexico. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs played a significant role in securing Flores-Fernandez's arrest and extradition.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation aimed at dismantling high-level criminal organizations threatening the United States through a coordinated multi-agency approach.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Farhana C. Melo of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark represents the government.
Defense counsel: Michael Rubas, Esq., Jersey City, NJ
