Alberto Alegria
Introduction
Alberto Alegria, 28, of Lumberton, North Carolina, was sentenced to 12 and a half years — 150 months — in federal prison for selling cocaine and heroin throughout Eastern North Carolina. On June 16, 2026, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute over 11 pounds of cocaine and over two pounds of heroin, possession with intent to distribute more than one pound of cocaine and over two pounds of heroin, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement following sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan.
Background Information
The case centered on Tienda Mexicana La Hacienda, Alegria’s store in Lumberton, which federal prosecutors described not as an ordinary retail business but as a sham front for distributing narcotics and moving drug proceeds. Investigators first suspected in 2022 that Alegria was a major drug trafficker in Robeson County, and the resulting investigation drew in the IRS, DEA, SBI, the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office, the Hoke County Sheriff’s Office, the Lumberton Police Department, and the Fayetteville Police Department. The release provides no further biographical information about Alegria beyond his age and Lumberton residence.
The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation
Convicted and sentenced.
In 2022, investigators suspected that Alegria was a major drug trafficker in Robeson County. By August 2023, they began making controlled buys of cocaine and heroin from him. During this same period, investigators documented Alegria receiving large shipments of cocaine and selling the drugs out of his store, Tienda Mexicana La Hacienda. He used the store as a sham front to distribute narcotics and move his drug proceeds, and investigators found that he used wire transfers from the store to send thousands of dollars in drug profits back to a cartel in Mexico.
The evidence mounted through three channels at once. By conducting undercover buys, executing search warrants, and making a traffic stop, law enforcement seized more than 14 pounds of cocaine and over 5 pounds of heroin from Alegria’s criminal enterprise — the more than 19 pounds referenced in the release’s title. On June 16, 2026, Alegria pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute over 11 pounds of cocaine and over two pounds of heroin, possession with intent to distribute more than one pound of cocaine and over two pounds of heroin, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
The sentence followed on October 28, 2026, when a federal judge sentenced Alegria to 12 and a half years in federal prison. “We will not tolerate anyone who threatens the safety and well‑being of our communities by flooding them with deadly drugs. Thanks to the outstanding work of our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, this criminal will spend a long time in a cold, concrete box,” said Boyle, who added: “Law enforcement and federal prosecutors, collaborated to dismantle this large-scale criminal enterprise making Robeson County safer for the families who live and work there.”
Public Reaction and Consequences
“This case demonstrates the impact of strong collaboration among federal, state, and local law enforcement,” said Michael J. Connolly, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “By working together through the Homeland Security Task Force, we are disrupting drug trafficking operations, bringing offenders to justice, and making our communities safer.” “Drug trafficking networks operate with zero regard for public safety and is a significant driver of violence in our communities,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Alicia Jones, whose agency pledged to aggressively pursue those involved in bringing illegal drugs and firearms into communities.
SBI Director Chip Hawley said: “Illegal drug eradication is one of the main functions of the State Bureau of Investigation, and this case in Robeson County is the result of great teamwork.” The Fayetteville Police Department said in a statement: “This sentencing sends an unmistakable message that those who traffic poison across our community and surrounding counties will be held fully accountable.” It added that “Removing a prolific, high-level offender from our streets makes Fayetteville and our region measurably safer.”
Current Status
Alegria is a sentenced federal prisoner, with the 150-month term announced on October 28, 2026. The financial half of the case drew its own emphasis: “Today’s sentencing highlights the essential role financial investigators play in dismantling complex drug trafficking networks,” said Special Agent in Charge Donald “Trey” Eakins, IRS Criminal Investigation’s Charlotte Field Office. “By following the money, our special agents uncovered how the defendant used his business to disguise and send illicit proceeds.” Related court documents can be found at the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:26-CR-25-FL-BM-1.
Impact on Their Career/Life
The prosecution is part of Operation Flip Switch, a component of the Homeland Security Task Force established under Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion — a whole-of-government initiative committed to dismantling criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking networks. For Alegria, 28, the practical impact is fixed: the next twelve and a half years in federal custody, with his store now on the public record as the front through which cocaine and heroin moved and drug profits were wired to a cartel in Mexico.
Sources
- U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina, “Robeson County Tienda Caught Selling Over 19 Pounds of Cocaine and Heroin; Leads to 12 Years in Federal Prison”, October 28, 2026 — source