The Drug Enforcement Administration arrested the 45-year-old in October after they stopped a tractor-trailer he was driving near Woodbridge.
TRENTON -- A California man caught with more than 63 pounds of methamphetamine during a Drug Enforcement Administration operation in Middlesex County last fall has pleaded guilty to federal drug-trafficking crimes, admitting he planned to give the drugs to another person in Georgia.
Tomas Lopez Beltran, 45, pleaded guilty Monday before U.S. District Judge Brian R. Martinotti in Trenton to a charge of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, according to a statement from the office of Acting U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick.
Beltran, of South Gate, Calif., had been arrested on Oct. 28, 2016 after investigators, who had kept him under surveillance, stopped the tractor-trailer he was driving near Woodbridge and discovered the drugs, along with $73,500 in cash, according to court filings and official statements.
Investigators had watched Beltran and another man load a heavy suitcase into the truck cab, and discovered the drugs and cash inside a hidden compartment during a search, according to a criminal complaint filed with the court.
Beltran faces a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. His sentencing has not been scheduled.
Thomas Moriarty may be reached at tmoriarty@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ThomasDMoriarty. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
Editor's note: This story has been corrected with regard to the drug in question.