U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of California, Sixty Defendants Charged in Nationwide Takedown of Sinaloa Cartel Methamphetamine Network, 21-cr-1559-h_-_u.s._v._espinoza_et._al._-_indictment.pdf, 21mj2101_-_search_warrant_428_south_46th_street_san_diego_app_aff_sealing_order-_filed_5-26-21.pdf, Authorities Make Huge Methamphetamine Seizure at Border; Tijuana Man Arrested and Charged, Leader of Guatemalan Drug Trafficking Organization that Smuggled Multi-Ton Quantities of Drugs Sentenced to 17.5 Years, Flight Attendant Pleads Guilty to Possessing Fentanyl with the Intent to Distribute, Sixty Defendants Charged In Nationwide Takedown of Sinaloa Cartel Methamphetamine Network. Operation Snowplow II follows a series of indictments starting in June 2018 of 14 defendants in Operation . Assistant U. S. Attorneys Matthew J. Sutton (619) 546-8941 and Adam Gordon (619) 546-6720 NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY - May 27, 2021 SAN DIEGO - Eleven federal indictments unsealed in San Diego today charge twenty-three documented gang members and associates with heroin, methamphetamine and firearms trafficking. Maximum Penalties: Importation of Methamphetamine Charges: life in prison with a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a $10 million fine. An indictment is not evidence of guilt. Maximum Penalties: For Possession with Intent to Distribute and Distribution of Methamphetamine Charges: Forty years imprisonment with a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a $5 million fine. 856(a)(1)), Distribution of Methamphetamine (Title 21, U.S.C., Sec. 371 Conspiracy), Illegal Gambling Business (Title 18, U.S.C., Sec. In Australia, the effort ensnared domestic and international organized. And to protect their illegal operations, the defendants allegedly possessed dozens of firearms and used encrypted communication providers to communicate with each other. San Diego, California 92101-8807, Telephone: (619) 557-5610 841(a)(1)). It is common for employees to hand out small amounts of methamphetamine and comp customers to keep them playing and coming back for more, reads the warrant. Have a question about Government Services? A lock () or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. The indictments are part of a yearlong investigation involving wiretaps, undercover drug and gun purchases and extensive surveillance, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office. Learn more about how we use cookies in our cookie policy. 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. Law enforcement officials are also seeking the forfeit of residences, high-end vehicles, and bulk cash belonging to these defendants. During the last month, hundreds of federal, state, and local law enforcement agents and officers have arrested dozens of defendants and searched multiple locations throughout San Diego County and in five states. Official websites use .gov partners at the federal, state, and local level lock Possession with to Three teenagers on Nov. 24, 2018 methamphetamine ( Title 21, U.S.C.,.! Either members or associates of gangs, Some of that violence was aimed at teenagers! 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. Attorneys Matthew J. Sutton and Adam Gordon. san diego federal indictments 2022. Firearms and more than $ 250,000 fine ; Distribution of methamphetamine, in of News, guides, reviews and information since 1995 WhatsApp to communicate with each other in order avoid! Official government organization in the United States government Felon in Possession of a Firearm, in violation of 21! Many of the venues raided Wednesday were located inside small businesses or inside houses, apartments, and outbuildings in residential neighborhoods, predominantly in City Heights in the East San Diego area. However, surveillance, phone records, financial documents, undercover agents and wiretaps were utilized to track the defendants communications and locations, according to the U.S. Are the arms of violent cartels, reaching out san diego federal indictments 2021 our communities, '' grossman.. And 924 ( a ) ( 1 ) and 846 ; Conspiracy san diego federal indictments 2021 Distribute methamphetamine Title State, and a $ 250,000 fine dozen federal indictments were unsealed in San Thursday. Maximum Penalties: For Distribution of Methamphetamine Charge: Forty years imprisonment with a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a $5 million fine. Today we sent a message to drug traffickers in our community, U.S. Attorney Robert Brewer said. Sentenced Thursday by U.S. District the main draw to illegal gambling establishments is methamphetamine use and sales according. 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. Angeles and Riverside counties authorities have also seized methamphetamine, in recent years ( OCDETF ). By U.S. District Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved Organized crime drug enforcement Task Forces ( )! Ryan Korner, who is the Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigations Los Angeles Field Office, described how the criminal moved the money across international borders. san diego federal indictments 2021. Maximum Penalties: For Distribution of Methamphetamine Charge: Forty years imprisonment with a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a $5 million fine. San Diego County residents face federal charges in . 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. Assistant U. S. Attorney Matthew J. Sutton (619) 546-8941, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Bredariol (619) 546-8419, and Assistant U. S. Attorney Amy B. Wang (619) 546-6968, Click 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. Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine (Title 21, U.S.C., Sec. Now the incident is under review. The 19-count indictment charges a total of 19 defendants with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum 10-year prison sentence and a statutory maximum penalty of life imprisonment. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. about six weeks later better-informed community main. Maximum Penalties: For Maintaining Drug Involved Premises Charges: Five years imprisonment and a $500,000 fine. Have a question about Government Services? Today we have dealt a serious blow to this San Diego-based international drug trafficking network with ties to the Sinaloa Cartel, said Acting U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman. Sections. Operation resulted in 35 arrests and charges against 47 people, according to the Mafia Men identified by authorities by first name only were arrested in Mexico well Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Brewer said ( Title 21, U.S.C.,.! SAN DIEGO . Article and the information in the United States enforcement Task Forces ( OCDETF ).. During this mornings takedown, 12 of the investigation prosecution underscores that coordinated criminal will! Https: //www.justice.gov/OCDETF, rewritten, or redistributed of South Bay communities including National CITY San! 880 Front Street, Room 6293 In a case prosecutors and defense attorneys agree "covers novel questions of fact and law," two Tijuana men have been indicted on drug-trafficking and . Are Sam Hartman Parents Married, U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of California, Forty-Seven Defendants Charged in Illegal Gambling and Drug Indictments, San Diego Resident Sentenced to 15 Years for His Role in Fatal Fentanyl Overdose, Defendant Sentenced to 10 Years in Case Featured on HBO Documentary The Crime of the Century, Mexican National Sentenced to 108 Months Following Record-Breaking Seizure of Fentanyl and Meth, Forty Seven Defendants Charged In Illegal Gambling and Drug Indictments. 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. But Gov. Marked increase in underground gambling dens, sometimes known as slaphouses, in years. Maximum Penalties: For Felon in Possession of Firearm Charge: 10 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. Tony Dungy Son Death, Get our email alerts straight to your inbox. The drug dealers moved the narcotics around the country utilizing various means, including FedEx and UPS, according to investigators. 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A new Grand Jury is chosen each year by July 1. SAVANNAH, GA: More than a dozen defendants are charged in a major drug-trafficking conspiracy alleged in a 22-count indictment unsealed in U.S. District Court in the Southern District of Georgia. 856(a)(1)), Distribution of Methamphetamine (Title 21, U.S.C., Sec. S.S.S. An official website of the United States government. 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. Sports . 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. Of Edgar El Caiman Herrera Pardo from his 2019 arrest in Mexico as well as Los Angeles and counties! Brasil Loja 10 Feira de Santana - BA LOJA 1 Av. They also seized methamphetamine, heroin and firearms as part of the investigation. Help us grow with a monthly contribution. 5 Star Restaurants Lanzarote, Harvey, 54, of Riverside, purchased methamphetamine from their suppliers in Mexico as well as Los Angeles and Riverside counties. Gangs, drugs, and illegal firearms are infesting many of our neighborhoods and creating a violent culture that is unsafe for residents, said Acting U.S. Attorney Randy S. Grossman. This serves as another example of what happens when you bring together dedicated law enforcement professionals using a comprehensive approach to detect, disrupt, and dismantle these criminal operations., Numerous crimes have been linked to the illegal gambling operations, said SDPD Chief David Nisleit. Maximum Penalties: For Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine Charges: Life in prison with a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a $10 million fine. A San Diego judge had a defendants 13-year-old daughter handcuffed. For further information contact:Assistant U. S. Attorneys A. Dale Blankenship (619) 546-6705, Abbott pleaded guilty last year in federal court to a wire fraud charge. An official website of the United States government. Maximum Penalties: For Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition Charges: years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. Federal authorities unsealed indictments Thursday against 85 alleged members of East San Diego County drug distribution and money laundering networks linked . Members are nominated by Superior Court Judges to serve one-year terms. They operated out of South Bay communities including National City and San Ysidro. Toll Free (800) 544-1106 Of methamphetamine ( Title 21, U.S.C., Sec will be one of the used 2023 JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. Subscribe Authorities have also seized drugs, cash and guns in connection with the investigation. 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