Adilson Antonio Reyes, a truck driver from Utah, entered his plea before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lincoln D. Almond to a charge that he conspired with two others to distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine.

One of the three men authorities are linking to a Mexican drug cartel pleaded not guilty Monday to a charge that he conspired to traffic cocaine in Rhode Island.

Adilson Antonio Reyes, a truck driver from Utah, entered his plea before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lincoln D. Almond to a charge that he conspired with two others to distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine.

Court records show that Reyes is scheduled to change his plea to the charge before Chief U.S. District Court Judge Mary M. Lisi on May 11. His lawyer, Steven DiLibero, said the date for the plea-change hearing had been canceled, which was not reflected in the court record.

“We’ll know by the end of the week what we’ll do,” DiLibero said.

Reyes and Rodrigo Armando Saucedo and Andrew Rios, both of California, have been held without bail since they were arrested after state police and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents raided a storage unit on Dry Bridge Road in North Kingstown on Jan. 29. Authorities said they seized bricks of cocaine worth an estimated $6.6 million, $1.2 million in cash and a 9mm handgun. The DEA linked the men to Mexican drug cartels that feed narcotics and marijuana into cities throughout Southeastern New England.

All three men were first charged in state court, but those counts were dismissed late last month when federal charges were brought against the men.

Authorities allege in the affidavit supporting the search warrant that Saucedo was operating an interstate drug-trafficking operation shipping drugs into Rhode Island by tractor-trailer from the West Coast.

According to the police, Reyes told them after his arrest that he worked for Saucedo, who is also known as Roy, and drove a tractor-trailer from California at least nine times in the past year. He was paid up to $6,000 per load, the affidavit says. Saucedo would then fly into Logan Airport in Boston and take control of the drugs once the truck arrived at the Best Western Hotel in West Greenwich.

Rios and Saucedo, who have pleaded not guilty, are due to return to court May 2 for a bail hearing.

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