Mexico's long-running drug war . Colorado Springs mayoral candidates address affordable homeownership. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. It's Denver and the suburbs, Greeley with all the cholos, Longmont and Colorado Springs then it makes it's way to College students thru networks. Scott Simon talks with Vice News Correspondent Emily Green about the increased role of Mexican drug cartels in the avocado and lime business. On the eve of the Super Bowlwhere the Mexican avocado producers again ran their ad as they have for the past decade . A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging 17 defendants for drug trafficking in direct connection with a Mexican drug cartel. Documents filed Wednesday . Interactive map reveals when you may see SNOW. Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) is the youngest of the top 6 Mexican drug cartels. This is probably not the last time you hear about CJNG as it is more willing to engage in violent confrontations with rival cartels and security forces. On Sept. 29, the indictment says Rivera Beltran called Antonio Ortiz and they spoke how they didn't have anyone bringing heroin to Colorado, and said that Alberto "Chemo" Sanchez Rodriguez could even though he usually only transported money. Rivera-Beltran specifically mentioned that a load of drugs agents believed to be cocaine that was arriving the first week of September, lamented that one of his loads had been taken, and offered the informant "1,000 almonds" which investigators believed to be fentanyl pills, according to the indictment. The bullet-hole riddled roof of a church, the site of a bloody cartel battle in El Limoncito. Investigators discovered through calls that Escamilla was picking up a truck from a rental car agency on Sep. 27 and set up surveillance at the location, according to the indictment. The Sinaloa Cartel had its origin in 1989, after Miguel ngel Flix Gallardo, the main leader of the Guadalajara Cartel, was captured and transferred to a maximum security prison and could not continue with the control of his organization, causing a division that would give life to two new cartels, among them the one in Sinaloa. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo, File). The accused leader of the group, Candelaria Vallejo-Gallo, was indicted under a charge of Continuing Criminal Enterprise, also known as the federal "drug kingpin" statute, authorities said. [The sniper rifles flowing to Mexican. He also made calls to customers and suppliers throughout the month, the indictment says. The five men were shot and killed when Surez, a resident from San Antonio, Texas, refused orders to pull over. drug cartel, an illicit consortium of independent organizations formed to limit competition and control the production and distribution of illegal drugs. They've inspired songs and telenovelas. Rivera-Beltran said in a later call, he would give Guadalupe Ortiz money for every trip and a weekly salary, and that Guadalupe Ortiz would be doing trips that Sarabia-Mancicnas had done in the past, according to the indictment. Our ranking methodology is quite simple. On Aug. 2, the indictment says, Zytacua called Amanda Bidgood and negotiated the sale of two grams of meth for $100 to Bidgood. Specifically, the indictment says Zytacua had calls with users about the cost of 30 milligram pills, which agents believed to be fake fentanyl pills masked as M30 oxycodone pills. Despite its name, the Mexican Mafia did not originate in Mexico, and is entirely a U.S. criminal prison organization.Law enforcement officials report that the Mexican Mafia is the deadliest and most powerful gang within the California prison . "What is quite possible is that cartels will hire straw owners who have clean records who can apply for a license, then sell large quantities both legally and on the black market," Villasuso said. These interactions help Mexican organizations expand their influence, the DEA reports, and "insulates Mexican TCOs from direct ties to street-level drug seizures and arrests made by US law enforcement.". Analysts are still trying to work out the long-term effect this shift will have on Mexican cartel finances and violence. They set up a perimeter around the area and insisted those inside turn themselves in. Hundreds of Mexican soldiers were sent to the border city of Juarez Friday after a prison face-off between members of two rival cartels caused a riot and shootouts that killed 11 people, most of . Sinaloa Cartel. We are committed to dismantling and removing the threat posed by these criminal organizations flooding American communities with dangerous narcotics, said Attorney General Jeff Sessions. The 18th Judicial District Attorney's Office said the following defendants will be prosecuted in Douglas County: RELATED: 2 Colorado nurses illegally took controlled substances at work, U.S. Attorney's Office says. The informant continued to negotiate prices for more meth with Padilla-Romo throughout June, and the indictment says Romo mentioned he was going to get more from Jesus Tarango-Rodriguez. Rivera Beltran said he would pay $500 to the person and get him a plane ticket, the indictment says. "Mexican drug cartels in Boulder (Nanooo Nanooo), NORAD Central/ Air Force Academy and Dullsville-Pueblo, too. Tarango-Rodriguez said in the calls that the "buttons" Rivera-Beltran had were not good. The legal marijuana industry could be the fastest growing sector of the. DENVER (AP) - The U.S. Department of Justice says two Mexican cartels are active in five Colorado cities. He told the informant the trap cars he ordered were not ready and had to be redone. We are stronger than this crap. By Adry Torres For Dailymail.com According to the DEA, Mexican drug cartels continue to expand their presence and forge partnerships with other transnational gangs, U.S. street gangs, prison gangs, and Chinese money laundering organizations. Victor Alvarez Farfan, a native of Michoacn, Mexico, headed the Portland drug ring blamed for bringing large amounts of meth, heroin and fentanyl across the border beginning in October 2017. (The Center Square) - Law enforcement investigations continue to target cartel-driven drug trafficking networks nationwide as Mexican cartels maintain operational control of the southern border, and transport dangerous narcotics and synthetic opioids to major U.S. cities. RELATED: All-time high overdose deaths in country Colorado deaths up 34%. In August, the indictment says, agents began wiretaps on the phone number that belonged to Rivera-Beltran. Denver DEA office spokesman Albert Villasuso said with some 50 retail outlets in operation, the agency can only monitor if, how and when the cartels decide to move in to the legalized retail industry in Colorado. Rivera-Beltran said he had guns and "almonds," believed to be fentanyl pills, at the house. The cartels and the drug trade fuel rampant corruption and. The Sinaloa cartel is the oldest cartel. The undercover officer who first made contact with Rivera-Beltran arranged another drug purchase, and the indictment says $2,200 was exchanged for a pound of meth in the same Target parking lot on June 17. Morning Forecast Contests & Promotions, 2023, Pikes Peak Television, Inc. Colorado Springs, CO, USA, Special Forces soldier who never quit to receive Medal of Honor nearly 60 years after grueling firefight, DOJ ramps up its allegations that Texas is judge-shopping in cases against Biden, Germanys Olaf Scholz to meet Biden on Friday after transformative year, Woman pleads guilty to threatening Michigan 2020 election official. All rights reserved. This is a very significant operation that took a massive amount of drugs and a large number of drug traffickers off our streets, United States Attorney Jason R. Dunn said in a statement. Kaitlin is a public safety reporter with a focus on investigations. (YouTube) Mexican authorities believe a body found wrapped in plastic and left . This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, Maybe he was hoping the Zetas would kidnapped that girl because she was stupid enough to follow him there. Five pounds of heroin and four pounds of cocaine were also seized during the investigation, which began in 2018. They spoke about introducing Escamilla to another undercover agent as well as purchasing some "blues," which investigators knew to be fentanyl pills, the indictment says. Rodolfos Mexican Grill is in Cheyenne, Wyo., where the investigation began with a suspicious vehicle purchase. But, according to the most recent report from the US Drug Enforcement Administration, the Sinaloa cartel and traffickers affiliated with it still control the lion's share of the US market for illegal narcotics. The owner of the Colorado Springs dispensary told the Denver Post he is planning to get a concealed-weapons permit, for protection when he has to move money out of the store. The drugs were kept in stash houses in Aurora, Colorado, before being distributed at a local grocery store. Taking over a trade once ruled by drug cartels and turning it into an all-cash business could make pot shops prime targets for extortion, black-market competition and robbery. It is also the most significant drug trafficking organization in the United States. However, the indictment says, Tarango-Rodriguez began speaking to Rivera-Beltran a day later to ask if he had "buttons," which investigators believe meant fentanyl pills. A wiretap order was also signed for Zytacua's phone number, the indictment says. CJNG continues to be the Mexican TCO with second-most widespread national influence. Jackson said he would not speculate as to if or which cartels may decide to infiltrate the legitimate businesses or how. We have no idea what the Mexican drug cartels do with all that RMB and how they smuggle all that cash out of China. Through these calls, the agents determined Tarango-Rodriguez was Padilla-Romo's source of drugs, according to the indictment. On Aug 19., the indictment says, state troopers stopped Anali Saavedra Flores on I-25. Too funny for words! While the wiretap investigation was beginning, the indictment says an undercover officer was introduced to Saul Ramon Rivera-Beltran. On Nov. 1, the indictment says Rivera-Belran received a call from a Mexican phone number, and spoke about losing the car with three "boxes," which agents believed to be fentanyl pills, and sod that "it was very hot and that it all went to hell. The Defendants from California are Juan Carlos Medina-Soberanis, 31; and Erik Parra. DENVER Authorities on Wednesday announced the indictments of 30 people who are accused of being members of a Denver-based drug trafficking group with suspected ties to a Mexican cartel, according to officials and court documents. Investigators said Rivera-Beltran began negotiating with a person later identified as Juan Francisco "Guerito" Sarabia-Mancinas for pounds of meth and pills believed to be fake 30-milligram oxycodone pills. The CJNG is believed to be engaging multiple rival organizations, the Sinaloa cartel in particular, in violent turf wars in several areas on Mexico's west coast. These cartels primarily employ Mexican nationals to oversee their distribution operations in the United States. or redistributed. Since the 1980s, they have dominated the international narcotics trade. Guzmn is a known escape artist as well. Luis Martnez, who was shot two times and remained in an induced coma as of Friday, was also an alleged member of the Cartel del Noreste, according to his Facebook account. They go by nicknames like "The Little Queen" and "The Missus.". Gulf Cartel is the only Mexican cartel that uses Detroit as a major hub. True, its a little weak but I'm grateful to the volunteers at BB.As far as the pentagon spending goes you're preaching to the choir. Later that night while Guadalupe Ortiz was at the airport, he spoke about concealing money in notebooks while going through security with Rivera-Beltran, according to the indictment. It has popped around the world, from Hong Kong to Australia and Argentina to Europe. Colorado Springs Mexican restaurants accused in money laundering scheme with ties to 'El Chapo', Homes built by Covington Homes build community, The Girl Scout Cookie Program feeds entrepreneurial and life skills, Colorado Springs home prices fall to lowest point in nearly 1 years, The science of detecting infectious disease in wastewater arrived with the COVID-19 pandemic, Jamal Murray's big second half serves as last laugh vs. old friend and Memphis Grizzlies, Colorado Sunshine: Team Colorado seeks return to 'The Basketball Tournament', LETTERS: Ducking the real issues; ASC Thrift Shop to close, EDITORIAL: Legislators want local heroin injection sites, At Home: Whats hiding in your rugs? The organization's purpose was distributing large amounts of drugs including fentanyl, heroin, methamphetamine and cocaine throughout the Denver metro area as well as Arapahoe, Douglas, and Jefferson counties, the indictment says. Click to skip ahead and see the list of top 5 cities that are crowded by Mexican drug cartels. "The Sinaloa Cartel exports and distributes wholesale amounts of methamphetamine, marijuana, cocaine, and heroin in the United States by maintaining key distribution hubs in Phoenix, Los Angeles, Denver, and Chicago, among other cities," the DEA reports. Its owner, Hilario Montejano-Aleman, also operates the local Viva El Taco at 5945 N. 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The rest of the funds were smuggled back in secret vehicle compartments. DEA special agent Robert Murphy said the SRT recently took down a dangerous Mexican cartel's methamphetamine conversion lab at a house in Gwinnett County. Replicating this kind of aggressive law enforcement take down is critical to breaking the backs of these criminal organizations.. The Flores brothers admitted to smuggling at least 1,500 kilograms of cocaine for the Sinaloa cartel into the US every month between 2005 and 2008. Rivera-Beltran said he arrived in Phoenix that day around 5 a.m., which was confirmed by GPS, told him to hide the money well, and Escamilla to bring 55 stacks of $100 bills to reduce bulk, according to the indictment. Escamilla then had a conversation with Nancy Vargas, and told her he had a suitcase/bag in his house that she needed to remove, as well as guns and money, according to the indictment. Rivera-Beltran then called Antonio Ortiz and old him "s*** went to hell," and that they needed to save what they could because there was a lot of "work," believed to be drugs, at the house, according to the indictment. Add Pueblo Colorado to the list. Joaquin Guzman-Loera (AKA's Chapo, Chapo Guzman, El Rapido) is a Mexican National. Commerce City Police Department officers identified the driver as Trevizo and a passenger as Misael Acosta-Garcia. It has concentrated in some areas of California, appeared in South Florida and the Pacific Northwest, and set up outposts on the East Coast. In addition to the 6.57 kilograms of cocaine packed for distribution, the indictment says officers also found $7,117 in the glovebox. Drug seized by authorities in a years-long investigation. Antonio Ortiz asked Rivera-Beltran over a call if he had received the "chocolates," believed to be heroin, and asked for "two," believed to be two kilos, according to the indictment. They discussed concern over a camera pointing towards the carport, and the indictment says Rivera-Beltran commented that he would go to the residence of Albert Sanchez Rodriguez or somewhere else. "Legal businesses will likely see a rise in extortion attempts while law enforcement will see a lot of backdoor deals being made.". On Aug. 29, a confidential informant received a call from Rivera-Beltran, and, the indictment says, they discussed meth. 22:55 03 Mar 2023, updated 23:04 03 Mar 2023. Trevizo and Tarango-Rodriguez then drove separately to a residence at 6841 Locust St. A short time later, the indictment says Austin Peterson and Anita Bateman arrived in a vehicle used to transport cocaine to Denver. Wilberto Mata was shot 10 times by soldiers following a high-speed chase pre-dawn Sunday after the driver, 21-year-old American Gustavo Surez, failed to stop. Were concerned with the public consumption right now, Jackson said. He reportedly operated under the aliases of 'El Gus' and 'El Baby Syko.'. (AP). A sixth shooting victim, who was wounded and is fighting for his life at a local hospital, also belongs to the same criminal organization. Even back before the break of the war, US gov was warning against going there. The organization also predicted that drug trafficking revenueswould fall 20 to 30 percent, and the Sinaloa cartel, which would be the most affected, would lose up to 50 percent. A cellphone of Jose Aguilar-Martinez, who purported to own the unregistered wholesale distributor El Potosino Foods, had significant contact with suspected cocaine distributors in the city and in Pueblo and was linked to Guzmns and Zambadas trafficking, the complaint says. Guzmn, widely known as El Chapo, was considered the worlds most powerful drug lord until his federal conviction this month on 10 counts of drug trafficking, money laundering and use of a firearm in decades of grisly killings to further his drug enterprise. In the US, the Sinaloa cartel is one of six Mexican transnational criminal organizations in operation, joining the Jalisco New Generation cartel, the Juarez cartel, the Gulf cartel, Los Zetas cartel, and the Beltran Leyva Organization. On July 8, after a phone call between Zytacua and a woman concerning a drug transaction, the indictment says, agents witnessed Zytacua conduct a hand-to-hand exchange with a woman at a nail salon in Aurora. DENVER Details of an eight-month investigation into a Colorado-based drug trafficking organization with links to a Mexican cartel have been released in a grand jury indictment. Comments are open to Gazette subscribers only. The Defense Department said the soldiers acted on their own and shot at the vehicle after they heard a loud noise following the crash. Wow, cross and walk down the streets of Nuevo Laredo as everyone there stairs at you. Agents followed the truck onto I-70 and stopped it outside of Glenwood Springs, according to the indictment. Juarez Cartel is also the only Mexican cartel that uses El Paso as a major hub. Escamilla gave a trooper permission to search the truck and said there was only money in there, the indictment says. According to the indictment, the investigation began in April, when DEA agents learned that Samuel Padilla-Romo was selling methamphetamine in the 18th Judicial District and Denver metro area. Mexican army soldiers display $15 million U.S. on November 22, 2011, in Mexico City. The attacks are in response to the arrest of El Chapo's son Ovidio Credit: AP. In 2012 the Mexican Competitiveness Institute issued a report saying that Mexico's cartels would lose as much as $1.425 billion if Colorado legalized marijuana.
