In a Thursday afternoon news conference at the Searcy Police Department, . The fourth alleged leader, Israel Alejandro Vazquez-Vazquez, is charged separately in a March 2021 indictment. 880 Front Street, Room 6293 Lock The CJNG is considered the most dangerous, well-armed and fastest-growing cartel in Mexico. A lock () or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Main Office: Attorneys from the Department of Justice, Office of Enforcement Operations, Electronic Surveillance Unit, also provided critical assistance to the investigation. 12.15.2022. SAN DIEGO Eleven federal indictments unsealed in San Diego today charge twenty-three documented gang members and associates with heroin, methamphetamine and firearms trafficking. The indictment also charges some of the defendants with conspiracy to import methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, being a felon in possession of ammunition, and attempted international money laundering. 856(a)(1)), Distribution of Methamphetamine (Title 21, U.S.C., Sec. Have a question about Government Services? 12.06. . A new Grand Jury is chosen each year by July 1. No Thanks Maximum Penalties: Importation of Methamphetamine Charges: Forty years imprisonment with a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a $5 million fine. Christopher Alexis Gomez, 17, and Juan Suarez-Ojeda, 18, both U.S. citizens from San Diego, and Angel Said Robles, 17, of Tijuana were in a Tijuana apartment when a group of people burst in. A grand jury indictment was unsealed Tuesday charging 60 alleged members of a San Diego-based methamphetamine distribution network with ties to the Sinaloa cartel with federal drug. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. 841(a)(1)). He checks all my emails, messages, messengers, FB (Facebook) posts, Maya Millete texted her brother months before she disappeared, Privacy PolicyTerms of ServiceSign Up For Our Newsletters, Copyright 2023, The San Diego Union-Tribune |. RIVERSIDE, CA Law enforcement authorities today arrested 12 defendants charged in a federal grand jury indictment alleging they conspired to traffic large quantities of methamphetamine from their suppliers in Mexico into and throughout the Inland Empire. SAN DIEGO Federal authorities unsealed indictments Thursday against 85 alleged members of East San Diego County drug distribution and money laundering networks linked to the Sinaloa. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS The drug-trafficking organization, known by its Spanish initials CJNG, has risen in influence in recent years and has been battling the more entrenched Sinaloa Cartel for control of the lucrative Tijuana-San Diego smuggling route. Typically, they operate 24/7 and have remained open throughout the pandemic. Maximum Penalties: For Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition Charges: years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. One has pleaded guilty and the other is awaiting trial. To protect their illegal operations, the defendants used encrypted communications services to communicate with each other. Local, state and federal partners on the Violent Crimes Task Force, including the FBI, worked together on the yearlong investigation. Learn more about how we use cookies in our cookie policy. We won't use your email for any other purpose, and you can opt out at any time via an unsubscribe link. The defendants are charged with conspiracy, operating illegal gambling businesses, maintaining drug involved premises, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, distribution of methamphetamine, importation of methamphetamine, felon in possession of firearm and felon in possession of ammunition. Vasquez is accused of coordinating the killings, according to a U.S. Attorneys Office motion to unseal the charges. Authorities arrested a dozen of the defendants this week. He awaits extradition to the U.S. The indictments allege that many of these gambling locations were taking in thousands of dollars a day. - A Jefferson City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing a firearm and methamphetamine to distribute. Grossman praised federal prosecutors Dale Blankenship and Matthew Brehm as well as the Deputy District Attorneys, FBI Special Agents, San Diego Police Department detectives and officers and other state, federal and local law enforcement agencies who worked so hard on this investigation. 880 Front Street, Room 6293 Three men identified by authorities by first name only were arrested in Mexico in connection with the slayings about six weeks later. In all, 44 firearms, more than 12 pounds of methamphetamine, $263,000 in cash, and 640 gambling machines were seized during the two-year investigation. 841(a)(1); Importation of Heroin, in violation of Title 21, U.S.C., Secs. ", "San Diego is one of nine major transportation-hub cities identified under DEA's Operation Crystal Shield," said John Callery, Special Agent in Charge of DEAs San Diego Field Division. Agents and officers from the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force-Gang Group, San Diego Police Department, San Diego Sherriffs Department, National City Police Department, Chula Vista Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Prisons, San Diego County Probation and the San Diego County District Attorneys Office collaborated on this investigation. Their friend, Said, lived in the Lomas Verdes neighborhood where the killings occurred. California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, San Diego County District Attorneys Office, Southern District of California SAN DIEGO - A federal grand jury has indicted 47 people who are allegedly associated with illegal gambling establishments that are closely tied to gangs, drugs and violence in San Diego neighborhoods. Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of California Randy Grossman was joined at 2 p.m. by officials from the DEA, IRS, San Diego County Sheriff's Department and others for a news conference, which was held at the DEA's office on Viewridge Avenue. But lawyers for the hospital say the medical records show he was unconscious. Also arrested were alleged drug dealers who operated within the dens. Indictment Charges Eight Members of Alleged D.C. Drug Gang with Conspiracy January 12, 2023 Read More Press Release Riverside Man Caught with More Than 10 Grams of Fentanyl and Fentanyl Analogues. Prosecutors said many of the defendants are either members or associates of gangs, some of which have longstanding ties to the Mexican Mafia. They operated out of South Bay communities including National City and San Ysidro. 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Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. Most locations of these establishments are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. Maximum Penalties: Importation of Methamphetamine Charges: Life in prison with a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a $10 million fine. Grossman also praised Assistant U.S. We won't use your email for any other purpose, and you can opt out at any time via an unsubscribe link. As of Thursday afternoon, 17 of the 23 defendants -- all identified as San Diego residents ranging in age from 23 to 60 -- were in federal or state custody, with a dozen of the defendants arrested this week. The drug dealers moved the narcotics around the country utilizing various means, including FedEx and UPS, according to investigators. As a result of the collaboration of federal, state and local law enforcement officials, law-abiding citizens who live in these neighborhoods will be safer without these magnets for crime in their midst. These collaborative efforts continue to make our communities safe.. San Diego, California 92101-8807, Telephone: (619) 557-5610 Drug proceeds were returned to the networks leaders through a variety of means, including bulk cash, structured cash deposits into bank accounts and money transfers through apps like PayPal, Zelle, Venmo and Cash App, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office. Twelve were arrested this week, including nine this morning; the rest were already in custody. Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine (Title 21, U.S.C., Sec. 952 and 960; Maximum Penalties: For the drug charges: Life in prison with a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a $10 million fine. For firearms charges: Ten years in prison, and a $250,000 fine. Todays enforcement action is another example of why the Task Force was established to be a force multiplier and combine short term, street level enforcement activity with long term, sophisticated techniques to root out and prosecute the entire criminal enterprise., I would like to recognize the cooperation between all agencies who took part in this operation, said San Diego Police Chief David Nisleit. Edgar Herrera Pardo oversaw a group of enforcers called Los Cabos who worked to secure the Baja California corridor for the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, according to prosecutors. The investigative work led by the Violent Crimes Task Force and the arrests made have created a safer environment for all of our communities., This joint operation is a prime example of what can be accomplished when law enforcement works together to respond to community concerns over increased crime in their neighborhoods, said San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan. DEFENDANT Case Number: 21CR1406-DMS, DEFENDANT Case Number: 21CR1407-DMS, DEFENDANTS Case Number: 21CR1408-DMS. Felon in Possession of a Firearm (18, U.S.C., Secs. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. The gambling dens continued to operate during the pandemic. 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Herrera, known by the Spanish moniker El Caimn, which translates to The Alligator, was arrested in Mexico in 2019 with his former beauty-queen girlfriend aboard a bus in the city of Quertaro. As of Thursday afternoon, 17 of the 23 defendants -- all identified as San Diego residents ranging in age from 23 to 60 -- were in federal or state custody, with a dozen of the defendants. According to an FBI search-warrant affidavit, at least nine of the 24 businesses raided belonged to one man, Long Ngoc Tran, 41, also known as Long Tu.. A locked padlock If you want to make sure you have the necessary supplies on hand to treat a future breakout, acne patches are the answer. Four defendants are fugitives. Here's How to Check Your Bill, Rainstorms Are Boosting San Diego's Water Supplies But It's Not Enough, Beaches Up and Down San Diego County Closed After Sewage Spills, Watch Live: Maya Millete Case Updates During Larry Millete's Hearing on Murder Charge, SUV Appears Split in Half After Oceanside Crash That Killed Mom, 6-Year-Old, Injured 4 Others, That's Where She Told Me That She Needs a Place to Live,' Maya Millete's Sister-in-Law Testifies. The U.S. Attorney's office Grossman announced charges Tuesday afternoon against 60 alleged local members of a San Diego-based methamphetamine ring accused of working for a distribution network. Official websites use .govA .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. According to court records, it is common for gambling den owners to pay rent in cash to the owners of these properties and, in some cases, a percentage of the profits to cast a blind eye to all the foot traffic. The FBI said that those arrested Wednesday ranged from owners of the businesses to those who acted as security doormen and bankers, as well as the drug dealers who operated within the dens. Three of the indicted individuals were already in custody prior to the takedown. Maximum Penalties: For Possession with Intent to Distribute Charge: Forty years imprisonment with a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a $5 million fine. The indictments allege that illegal gambling dens were often located inside small businesses or inside houses, apartments, and outbuildings in residential neighborhoods predominantly in City Heights, in the East San Diego area. 841(a)(1)). The culmination of a year-long investigation has netted the arrests of 47 people who are charged for allegedly distributing methamphetamine, heroin and fentanyl throughout Southern California and laundering tens of thousands of dollars in narcotics proceeds back to Sinaloa-Cartel associated drug traffickers in Mexico.. A locked padlock Maximum Penalties: Importation of Methamphetamine Charges: life in prison with a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a $10 million fine. Federal Office Building Long is a reputed member of the V-Boys Vietnamese street gang, who has previous convictions for illegal gambling and drugs, according to the affidavit. Many of the defendants are documented members or associates of violent South Bay street gangs operating out of National City, San Ysidro, and elsewhere. Official websites use .gov The indictments are part of a yearlong investigation involving wiretaps, undercover drug and gun purchases and "extensive surveillance," according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. DEFENDANTS Case Number: 21CR1409-DMS, DEFENDANT Case Number: 21CR1410-DMS. The cartel was an early adopter of trafficking fentanyl into the U.S. as a cheaper, more reliable alternative to heroin and, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office, is also a prolific methamphetamine producer and chemical importer, using precursors procured from China and India.. Maximum Penalties: For the drug charges: Life in prison with a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a $10 million fine. As of today at 1 p.m., 17 of the 23 defendants are either in federal or state custody. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. That is, until today.". Maximum Penalties: For Possession with Intent to Distribute Charge: 40 years imprisonment with a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years and a $5 million fine. During the pandemic City and San Ysidro gangs, some of which have longstanding to! 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