Two days later, the indictment says, Tarango-Rodriguez called Rivera-Beltran, and investigators said it was clear that Rivera-Beltran was nervous about going to a party after the search warrant was executed. 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. or redistributed. 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. In another call on Sep. 27, the indictment says Rodriguez told Rivera-Beltran that the money had been seized, and that Vargas was getting items out of Escamilla's house. Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. We bet you won't be able to guess the #1 U.S. city that is crowded by these violent Mexican drug cartels. Villasuso also said that even if legal stores do face extortion efforts by cartel groups it is unlikely law enforcement will even be made aware of it if merchants are too frightened to come to police. 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. The Jalisco New Generation cartel, which reportedly provided security for the Sinaloa cartel before splintering off, is considered by the Drug Enforcement Agency to be a top US threat and the best-armed criminal group in Mexico, according to a report from the Congressional Research Service. 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. Mexico's Agriculture Ministry said U.S. health . "Much like the Sinaloa Cartel, CJNG is a poly-drug trafficking organization dealing in wholesale amounts of primarily methamphetamine, but also cocaine, heroin, and marijuana," the DEA notes, adding, "CJNG has drug distribution hubs in the US cities of Los Angeles and Atlanta.". Gulf Cartel is the 5th most influential Mexican drug cartel in the U.S.. Gulf Cartel is also the only Mexican cartel that uses Houston as a major hub. "Consistent with previous years, the Sinaloa Cartel maintains the widest national influence, with its most dominant positions along the West Coast, in the Midwest, and in the Northeast. No arrests have been made, but a cashier told The Gazette that all employees in the restaurant that night then returned to Mexico. In 2001, he spent $2.5 million in bribes to escape the maximum-security Puente Grande prison in Jalisco, Mexico, in a laundry cart. The ban on Mexican avocados has been lifted, but an economist and a student at the Miami Herbert Business School both say that cartels are the real threat to this popular green fruit in the United States. 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 . The DEA said 21 suspects were identified during the investigation into the organization linked to the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico. 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The money was seized from alleged members of the Guzman Loera drug cartel . He told the informant the trap cars he ordered were not ready and had to be redone. I want to congratulate the outstanding federal, state, and local law enforcement cooperation that resulted in this highly successful operation. (YouTube) Mexican authorities believe a body found wrapped in plastic and left . Add Pueblo Colorado to the list. A lot of "somebody's" are buying this stuff cause the shipments keep coming and the dollars keep going to the cartels? The vehicles driven by Trevizo and Peterson pulled into the carport. El Potosino is not a registered business, its website is inactive and no other wholesale food distributors in Colorado Springs were even aware of El Potosinos existence or that it purported to compete with them, the complaint and other records said. Rivera-Beltran also said that he found customers in Arizona who were buying 5,000 to 7,000 fentanyl pills, according to the indictment. Peterson and a confidential informant said that cocaine was provided by Adrian Santana, and the indictment says Peterson showed text messages from Santana instructing him to pick up the drugs at 6600 Kearney Street. [The sniper rifles flowing to Mexican. The footage of the massacre was released Wednesday and is part of the increasing violence in the southern Mexican state of Geurrero, reports said. In case of a tie, we rank the city with more powerful cartels higher. Of the 17 defendants, 11 are from Mexico, four from El Salvador, and two are from California. According to the DEA's assessment, however, the amount of US territory controlled by Mexican cartels has shifted slightly from 2015 to 2016. Rodolfos Mexican Grill is in Cheyenne, Wyo., where the investigation began with a suspicious vehicle purchase. The Portland-based drug network, which stretched into affluent area suburbs, westbound to Oregon's quaint coastal cities and north into southwestern Washington, is emblematic of a key Mexican. The state of Colorado was the first to officially legalize marijuana and to offer recreational marijuana in 2014. . plus 'Those cities are Denver, Boulder, Colorado Springs, Grand Junction, and Longmont. The violent and powerful Sinaloa cartel forced the Mexican authorities to surrender and hand over El Chapo's son Ovidio Guzman. 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. WASHINGTON Two sons of notorious drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman have been indicted on drug conspiracy charges, the Justice Department s. Replicating this kind of aggressive law enforcement take down is critical to breaking the backs of these criminal organizations.. ", Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. The restaurants would buy food from El Potosino and accept invoices for items they did not order or receive so checks could be cut to the company and Aguilar-Martinez, 48, who is in the U.S. illegally, the complaint said. We are stronger than this crap. Were concerned with the public consumption right now, Jackson said. Also in June, Tarango-Rodriguez continued to make calls on a third phone number that was being monitored by agents, and the indictment says he told a user he was going to sell 500,000 "small blue ones," which investigators believed to be 30-milligram fentanyl pills, in Kansas. Last week, the US government also took action against a network of Sinaloa Cartel members and associated entities for their involvement in providing chemicals to super labs that produce illicit drugs like fentanyl and methamphetamine for the cartel once run by the notorious drug lord Joaquin El Chapo Guzmn. Rivera Beltran said he would pay $500 to the person and get him a plane ticket, the indictment says. The 21-year-old was driving the pickup truck that crashed into a parked car after he refused orders from the military to pull over. SUGGESTED VIDEOS:Investigations from 9Wants to Know. We try to spoil when we should understand we haven't spoiled so much, because they know we are working hard for them. 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 Sinaloa cartel is the oldest cartel. The queens of the Mexican drug cartels are fond of tight jeans, red lipstick and stilettos. FILE - In this Jan. 8, 2016 file photo, a handcuffed Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman is made to face the press as he is escorted to a helicopter by Mexican soldiers and marines at a federal hangar in Mexico City. On July 20, the indictment says, Tarango-Rodriguez began discussing a drug deal with Martin Ivan Trevizo, and decided on a carport at 6600 Kearney Street as a meeting location. 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. A 2020 report prepared by the Congressional Research Service says the cartel originated in western. The legal marijuana industry could be the fastest growing sector of the. On. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. A Mexican cartel enforcer says Ciudad Juarez is headed for another war >>. On Sept. 20, the indictment says, Rivera-Beltran called Escamilla, who said he had about $170,000, and told Escamilla to bring $120,000 and leave $50,000. The document alleged that Surez was also a member of the Cartel del Noreste. Four soldiers were placed under arrest Thursday for the murder of the five men. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Vanda Felbab-Brown Sunday, May 29, 2022 Mexico Today Editor's Note: In a new series, Vanda Felbab-Brown outlines the way Mexico's two largest cartels the Sinaloa Cartel and Cartel Jalisco. We ranked each city by the number of different Mexican cartels that use as a distribution hub. Tarango-Rodriguez and Martiza exchanged multiple phone calls the morning after the search warrant was served, and the indictment said Rivera-Beltran could be heard talking to Tarango-Rodriguez in the calls. Albertacos did close briefly after funds were seized, but it has reopened. Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting. COVELO, Calif. Mexican drug cartels are muscling in on America's burgeoning multi-billion-dollar marijuana industry, illegally growing large crops in the hills and valleys of Northern California. In late June, the indictment says Zytacua continued speaking to multiple customers about selling cocaine, meth and heroin. 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. "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. He faces a mandatory life sentence with no possibility of parole. The WORST care homes in England: Interactive map reveals the lowest-rated 2,530 residences - so is An intelligence report obtained by TV Azteca indicated that Wilberto Mata, one of the five young men killed by soldier in the northern border city of Nuevo Laredo, was an alleged member of the Cartel del Noreste ( Northeast Cartel), Gustavo Surez, an American from San Antonio, Texas, was a purported member of the Northeast Cartel, according to a Mexican intelligence report. On the eve of the Super Bowlwhere the Mexican avocado producers again ran their ad as they have for the past decade . Ryan Saavedra is a contributor for Breitbart Texas and can be found on Twitter at @RealSaavedra. 'Yes, the Boulder area could be a giant cash cow for the Department of Homeland Security Cartel! 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 . The Mexican Mafia (Spanish: Mafia Mexicana), also known as La eMe (Spanish for "the M"), is a Mexican American criminal organization in the United States. "Though not as expansive as its rival," the Sinaloa cartel, with which it fought a multiyear war for control of Ciudad Juarez, "the Juarez Cartel continues to impact United States drug consumer markets primarily in Denver, Chicago, Oklahoma, and Kansas City," the DEA reports. Richard Nixon. 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. The five men were shot and killed when Surez, a resident from San Antonio, Texas, refused orders to pull over. During the spring of 2020 as Covid-19 was sweeping the world and Mexico, Mexican and international media became mesmerized by how various Mexican criminal groups, including the Sinaloa Cartel . An intelligence report that was reviewed by TV Azteca claimed Mata had a criminal background record in San Antonio, Texas. The Biden administration has sanctioned eight Mexican companies it says are involved in a timeshare fraud scheme benefiting the Jalisco cartel, a notorious drug organization that the US government . Interactive map reveals when you may see SNOW. Five pounds of heroin and four pounds of cocaine were also seized during the investigation, which began in 2018. 'Add Pueblo Colorado to the list. A sixth shooting victim, who was wounded and is fighting for his life at a local hospital, also belongs to the same criminal organization. kaitlin.durbin@gazette.com, Colorado Springs restaurants appear to be implicated in alleged drug money laundering scheme, expected to be sent to Colorados maximum-security prison in Florence, 16-year-old Nathaniel Czajkowski was shot to death in Albertacos, Feds: El Chapo's sons indicted on drug conspiracy charges, Survey: Coloradans happy with State Patrol, but not traffic safety, Two teens accused of using cocaine at Colorado Springs high school, Alex Murdaugh trial: Autopsy photos shown, and witnesses paint graphic picture as trial continues, Stimulus update: Direct payment worth up to $400 to be available for Massachusetts residents in 12 days, New downtown Colorado Springs transit center plans updated, councilman calls it a 'boondoggle'. It is based in Culiacn, Sinaloa state, Mexico. Police believe the shooting was tied to a drug deal that took place along West Monica Drive near . "And that's extremely scary.". Juarez Cartel is the only Mexican cartel that uses Oklahoma City as a major hub. Mexican authorities have yet to comment on Mata's and Martnez's alleged links to the notorious criminal organization. At least one of the five young men killed by the Mexican military had alleged links to Cartel del Noreste, which operates in the northern border city of Nuevo Laredo across from Texas. They each face homicide, bodily injury and disobedience charges. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. San Diego's largest cash seizure ever may shed light on an overlooked aspect of the drug trade >>, In many instances, the Sinaloa cartel and other Mexican cartels partner with street gangs in the US particularly the MS-13 to sell the drugs to consumers. Mothers, grab your sons and hold them tightly. They set up a perimeter around the area and insisted those inside turn themselves in. February 15, 2023 04:32 PM AUSTIN, Texas A county sheriff plans to sound the alarm before Congress about mass incursions of unidentified flying objects illegally entering U.S. airspace from. The car was eventually picked up by Rivera-Beltran after an unsuccessful attempt by Guadalupe Ortiz, and they both drove to Dallas, Texas, arriving on Sept. 18, the indictment says. Were a police department, were always concerns about what may happen.. Around 6:36 p.m. that evening, Tarango-Rodriguez called Rivera-Beltran and asked if he could use a truck inside Rivera-Beltran's carport for five minutes, according to the indictment. Four members of the army were placed under arrest Thursday and each face homicide, bodily injury and disobedience charges, Jonathan Aguilar did not survive after he was shot in the temple by a Mexican soldier after the vehicle he was riding in crashed into a parked vehicle in the border city of Nuevo Laredo, Jennifer Castillo (right) found out Sunday morning after her son Gustavo Surez (left) has been killed by the Mexican military that his girlfriend was expecting the couple's first child, Jennifer Castillo said that her son Gustavo Castillo had purchased his Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck in February and that the vehicle's temporary license plate had been removed by the soldiers who were involved in the deadly shooting, Wilberto Mata is said to have links to the Northeast Cartel, a criminal organization that operates in Nuevo Laredo, a northern Mexico border city across from Texas, Wilberto Mata, an alleged Northeast Cartel member, reportedly had a criminal background record in San Antonio, Texas, 22:55 03 Mar 2023, updated 23:04 03 Mar 2023, Luis Martnez, who survived after he was shot twice and is in an induced coma, was part of the cartel's special force 35th battalion. On June 10, undercover officers bought two ounces of heroin and 500 fentanyl pills during their first meeting in the parking lot of the Target at 7930 Northfield Boulevard in Denver, the indictment says. Please keep your comments respectful and relevant. The trooper discovered $69,050 wrapped in cellophane and $152,082 in two shoe boxes, and agents believe the first amount was the money sent by Antonio Ortiz and the second amount was money intended for River-Beltran, according to the indictment. 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 eight companies are Servicios Administrativos Fordtwoo, S.A. de C.V., Integracion Badeva, S.A. de C.V., JM Providers Office, S.A. de C.V., Promotora Vallarta One, S.A. de C.V., and Recservi, S.A. de C.V, Corporativo Title I, S.A. de C.V., Corporativo TS Business Inc, S.A. de C.V., and TS Business Corporativo, S.A. de C.V. Treasury has previously sanctioned entities related to the cartel and individuals critical to its operations. The fix for 2020 and for 2022 started in 2017, with appointment to election positions of individuals being bribed through the mortgage scheme and through monies being laundered by the appointment of phantom individuals. There were 234,062 undocumented immigrants apprehended at the Texas-Mexico Border in 2015, a drop from the previous year which saw 315,803 people seized, according to the presentation. The Sinaloa Cartel's criminal activity in the Ciudad Juarez and El Paso area included the violence that occurred during the war between the Juarez Cartel and the Sinaloa Cartel, which led to the death of thousands of people in Ciudad Juarez and throughout the Mexican states of Chihuahua and Durango. Boogie! The indictment says Trevizo's vehicle was pulled over by officers after it left the residence. Sinaloa Cartel is one of the oldest and most successful drug cartels in Mexico. Joaquin Guzman, the Mexican drug lord known as "El Chapo," entered a Colorado prison known as "the Alcatraz of the Rockies" on Friday to begin a life sentence after being found guilty of a raft of crimes including conspiracy to commit murder. Mexican drug cartels control vast swaths of the US drug market, but that influence remains heavily slanted in favor of the vaunted Sinaloa cartel. Example video title will go here for this video. Our ranking methodology is quite simple. Market data provided by Factset. You can review our Community Guidelines by clicking here. Crime scene photo at Taco Star. Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. "They have found that it's easier to grow and process marijuana in Colorado, ship it throughout the United States, than it is to bring it from Mexico or Cuba," Elder said. 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. EVERYONE ELSE SHOULD FOLLOW OUR LEAD! 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. It has concentrated in some areas of California, appeared in South Florida and the Pacific Northwest, and set up outposts on the East Coast. Sure you did. Mexico's president, Andrs Manuel Lpez Obrador, rode to power in 2018 on the slogan "hugs not . Analysts are still trying to work out the long-term effect this shift will have on Mexican cartel finances and violence. 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. When will the Beast from the East be at YOUR door? A Colorado Springs food distribution company and at least six local Mexican restaurants are linked to the Sinoloa Cartel and drug lordsJoaqun El Chapo Guzmn-Lorea and Ismael El Mayo Zambada-Garcia, says a recently released federal complaint providing the first evidence of cartels operating in Colorado Springs. On Sept. 17, the indictment says, Rivera-Beltran called and offered money to Jose Guadalupe Ortiz to drive both of them to Texas, then Arizona. A Mexican intelligence report alleges that he was linked to the Northeast Cartel's special forces 35th battalion, Alejandro Trujillo was one of five men who were shot dead by soldiers in Nuevo Laredo, Mexican. The DEA's 2020 National Drug Threat Assessment lists nine Mexican cartels, including El Chapo's Sinaloa Cartel, as the major importers of drugs to the U.S. in 2020. Mexican drug cartels are leading suppliers of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and other illicit narcotics to the United States. Los Zetas Cartel is the least influential of the 6 Mexican cartels, but this doesn't mean that its members aren't dangerous people. Daily Briefing Seven of the defendants are considered fugitives. By Adry Torres For Dailymail.com In a second picture that was posted online, Mata is seen with a rifle and an army fatigue green vest that appeared to have grenades concealed. 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. Scott Simon talks with Vice News Correspondent Emily Green about the increased role of Mexican drug cartels in the avocado and lime business. POLL: How will the Rockies fare this season in the NL West? That would be one way to break up with someone you don't like, huh? The indictment says six rectangular bricks with "CHANEL" stamped on them that tested positive for cocaine were found in the vehicle.