Alonso Beltran Lara, an 18-year-old male, was tragically killed on April 8, 2021, in Burlington, North Carolina. Lara was a member of the Sinaloa cartel and was involved in drug trafficking activities. On the night of his death, Lara returned to a mobile home in the Green Level community, where he was ambushed by Barney Dale Harris, a high school teacher and coach, and his brother-in-law, Steven Alexander Stewart Jr.
Harris and Stewart had been tracking the activities of the Sinaloa cartel, aiming to locate and rob the cartel's drug stash houses.
Upon entering the mobile home, Harris and Stewart bound Lara hand and foot and executed him with two shots to the back of his head. The motive behind this brutal act was to extract information about the location of money and drugs. However, Lara did not provide the desired information, leading to his execution. The scene quickly escalated into a violent shootout when other cartel members arrived, resulting in Harris's death. Harris was found wearing a bulletproof vest, mask, and gloves, but the vest was ineffective against the high-caliber ammunition used by the cartel members.
The investigation into Lara's death led to the arrest of Steven Alexander Stewart Jr., who was charged with first-degree burglary and first-degree murder. He remains in the Alamance County jail without bond. Additionally, Juan Daniel Salinas Lara, believed to have lived in the mobile home, is wanted on a cocaine trafficking charge. The investigation is ongoing, with the federal Drug Enforcement Administration and the State Bureau of Investigation assisting local authorities.
The tragic events surrounding Alonso Beltran Lara's death highlight the dangerous and deadly world of drug trafficking and the lengths to which individuals will go to obtain money and drugs. The involvement of a high school teacher in such activities underscores the hidden complexities and dual lives that some individuals lead.
