North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement agents raided an alleged illegal nightclub on Dearborn Drive in Durham, arresting six people and seizing five guns, cocaine, methamphetamine, cash and liquor. Investigators say they found an operating bar running without a permit, along with drugs and weapons hidden on site, and officials say additional charges are anticipated as the investigation continues.
The raid, carried out by the North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement Division on Saturday, targeted a nightclub operating out of a building on Dearborn Drive, according to WRAL. Officers seized 4.8 ounces of cocaine, eight grams of methamphetamine, five guns and an unspecified amount of cash, in addition to liquor found on the premises. Dearborn Drive sits in a mixed commercial and residential stretch of North Durham near East Club Boulevard and Interstate 85, roughly three miles from downtown, according to a LoopNet listing for the area.
Two of those arrested, 22-year-old Luis Alberto Rodriguez and 29-year-old Angela Johanna Calderon Rodriguez, both of Durham, face the most serious charges stemming from the raid: felony trafficking cocaine, conspiracy to traffic cocaine, felony maintaining a dwelling for a controlled substance, and misdemeanor possession or sale of alcoholic beverages without a permit. Under North Carolina law, cocaine weighing between 28 and 200 grams triggers a mandatory minimum sentence of 35 to 51 months in prison along with a fine of at least $50,000, a threshold the 4.8 ounces seized in the raid — about 136 grams — falls squarely within, according to guidance published by the Aviation Institute of Maintenance. That statutory bracket is triggered by weight alone, regardless of whether prosecutors can show intent to sell.
Four More Face Cocaine and Paraphernalia Charges
Enrique Doscamino, 40, of Durham, was charged with felony possession with intent to sell and deliver methamphetamine, felony possession with intent to sell and deliver cocaine, and possession of drug paraphernalia. Josue Hostilio Caceres Rodriguez, 37, and Cesar Guillermo Raudales-Matute, 54, both of Durham, each face felony possession of cocaine, with Caceres Rodriguez also charged with possession of drug paraphernalia. Kevin Chanas Rios, 25, of Raleigh, was charged with felony possession of cocaine and possession of drug paraphernalia.
The alcohol-related charges against Luis Alberto Rodriguez and Calderon Rodriguez fall under North Carolina General Statutes covering the sale of alcoholic beverages without a state permit, a Class 1 misdemeanor punishable by fines and up to two years in prison, according to a punishment chart maintained by the UNC School of Government. The Alcohol Law Enforcement Division operates under the North Carolina Department of Public Safety, with special agents holding primary statewide authority to enforce alcohol, drug and gambling laws, per the NC Department of Public Safety.
Part of a Broader Crackdown on Unlicensed Nightlife
The Dearborn Drive raid is the latest in a string of enforcement actions ALE has carried out against unlicensed bars and nightclubs across the Triangle this year. In July, ALE agents and Durham Police shut down an illegal alcohol operation at 603 Ellis Road, part of a citywide sweep that produced more than 30 arrests and included seized firearms and narcotics — a raid tied to a shooting Hoodline reported on at the time.
Similar operations have played out elsewhere in the state this year. In January, ALE agents and Raleigh Police charged nine people with 68 offenses at Blue Vibes in Raleigh after undercover agents observed between 200 and 250 patrons drinking inside the unlicensed nightclub. Earlier this month, ALE agents searched Maximum Private Lounge in Winston-Salem following community complaints about illegal alcohol sales, and North Carolina's ABC Commission summarily suspended the permits of The 601 Bar in Dunn after ALE investigated a fatal shooting there. Just days before the Dearborn Drive raid, a joint ALE and Raleigh Police operation in downtown Raleigh led to more than 130 felony charges against 35 people connected to activity near public transit hubs, according to the North Carolina Department of Public Safety.
Public safety has remained a pressing concern for Durham residents even as satisfaction with city services has climbed. A citywide survey presented in February found that 43% of Durham households identified police protection as a major priority needing improvement, even as overall satisfaction with city services rose to 63%, according to Hoodline's prior reporting.
Officials say the investigation into the Dearborn Drive nightclub is ongoing, and additional charges are anticipated as agents continue reviewing evidence from the raid.
