CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A 26-year-old Mexican national was sentenced to more than 21 years in federal prison for leading a Charlotte-area drug trafficking cell connected to a major Mexican cartel, prosecutors announced.
Elian Rene Fabian Valladolid received a 262-month sentence Tuesday for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, heroin and methamphetamine. He will be deported after completing his prison term.
Between 2022 and 2023, Valladolid led a local cell of a drug trafficking organization with ties to the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación, according to court documents. He oversaw drug distribution activities and recruited other members for the organization…