FBI and DEA operations yield major drug arrests in Central Kentucky

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Two separate drug busts conducted by federal and local authorities in the Lexington area this past month have resulted in multiple arrests and significant drug seizures, according to court documents filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky.

On April 16, Gustavo Moreno-Mena and Jose Julian-Rodriguez were arrested following a coordinated surveillance operation by the Nicholasville Police Department (NPD), Jessamine County Sheriff’s Office, and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Court documents show that the investigation began with a confidential informant who arranged a transaction for one kilogram of cocaine with Moreno-Mena. Surveillance teams tracked Moreno-Mena and Rodriguez as they traveled from Lexington to Jessamine County in separate vehicles. Officers stopped both vehicles near Brannon Road in Nicholasville, where a narcotics detection canine alerted officers to drugs in Rodriguez’s vehicle.

During a subsequent search, law enforcement discovered a kilogram of cocaine in a lunch cooler beneath Rodriguez’s seat. Both suspects were arrested and transported to Nicholasville Police headquarters, where Moreno-Mena admitted he was to earn $1,000 for the cocaine delivery. Rodriguez denied knowledge of the cocaine but acknowledged he was to be paid $500 for the delivery. Moreno-Mena and Rodriguez face charges of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and conspiracy to distribute cocaine. They are scheduled for a preliminary hearing on April 30 before Magistrate Judge Matthew A. Stinnett.

In an unrelated case, federal agents arrested Curtis Demetrius Thompson on April 24 after a lengthy narcotics investigation by the Lexington Police Department and the FBI. Court filings indicate Thompson had been under investigation since August 2022 for drug trafficking, including fentanyl distribution.

Investigators documented multiple controlled drug transactions involving Thompson and executed a search warrant at a residence on Chelsea Woods Drive in Lexington on September 27, 2022. Officers seized suspected fentanyl, oxycodone pills, drug paraphernalia, cash, and a firearm linked to a prior shooting incident. A vehicle associated with Thompson also yielded approximately 56 grams of methamphetamine and nearly 13 grams of fentanyl. Thompson reportedly admitted the drugs found in the vehicle belonged to him.

Thompson, currently detained at the Fayette County Detention Center, faces federal charges of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. His initial appearance in federal court has not yet been scheduled.