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.". After a K9 alerted the presence of narcotics in the trunk, the indictment says, authorities discovered a $5,000 stack from her purse, and she gave them Ortiz's phone number, which stopped working shortly after. Mexico's long-running drug war . A meeting was set for May 1, when, the indictment says, the informant met with Padilla-Romo in the parking lot of the Safeway at 201 E. Jefferson Ave. in Englewood, and exchanged $1,600 for 210.1 grams of meth. The file also showed that the five victims tested positive for sodium rhodizonate, a sign they may have been carrying weapons and shot at the soldiers during the pursuit. The legalization of marijuana may have attracted a lot of cartel activity to the state because cartels can grow and sell marijuana there more securely. RELATED:. The vehicles driven by Trevizo and Peterson pulled into the carport. Rivera said Escamilla had left Colorado to deliver the $170,000, which agents knew to be a lie because Escamilla's GPS pings were still in Colorado, the indictment says. According to the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), the Sinaloa Mexican Drug Cartel is known to be the dominant drug cartel in both California and Colorado. The legal marijuana industry could be the fastest growing sector of the. The suspected traffickers sold meth, heroin, cocaine and fentanyl pills in Colorado and transported funds from the drug sales to groups in California, and then eventually to Mexico, according an indictment in the case. In June 1993, Guzman-Loera was arrested in Chiapas, Mexico and sentenced to a 20-year prison term. Dunque also relayed the information that many Mexican drug cartels are now . 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. Wow, cross and walk down the streets of Nuevo Laredo as everyone there stairs at you. Most notably, the Juarez cartel has reportedly seen its dominance in most of New Mexico eroded by the Sinaloa cartel. "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.". 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. Rodriguez said he flew to Arizona the previous night to pick up the car which was purchased by a friend and drive it to Denver, the indictment says. In a traffic stop of one suspect in January, investigators seized about 1,000 fentanyl pills that were hidden in a vent inside the vehicle, according to the complaint. Rafael Caro Quintero, a drug lord known as "the narco of narcos" who was behind the killing of a US drug enforcement agent in 1985, has been captured by Mexican forces nearly a decade after. I'm scared! But the general consensus is that the Mexican cartels will not quietly relinquish the Denver market. 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. Agents followed the truck onto I-70 and stopped it outside of Glenwood Springs, according to the indictment. We ranked each city by the number of different Mexican cartels that use as a distribution hub. Around 6:43 p.m., agents watching the carport saw Tarango-Rodriguez arrive, and Trevizo got on the phone, according to the indictment. 'My son was a good person and he didn't deserve the way they killed him,' she said. "We still don't know what the fall out will be but when there is this much money involved the potential is great for groups to want capitalize.". It is also the most significant drug trafficking organization in the United States. Guzmn is a known escape artist as well. 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 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. Heroin is where their making money. Drug seized by authorities in a years-long investigation. The footage of the massacre was released Wednesday and is part of the increasing violence in the southern Mexican state of Geurrero, reports said. However, after the cartel was involved in the 1985 torture and murder of a U.S. drug . The eight companies sanctioned on Thursday all claim to either be financial services or real estate firms and are either based in Puerta Vallarta or Guadalajara, according to the Treasury. Extortion has proven to be a lucrative ancillary enterprise for cartels in Mexico resulting in thousands of businesses closing rather than pay the quota, as it is called, or the store owners face the threat of death, which too has occurred. The notoriously violent Jalisco cartel has responded to Mexico's "hugs, not bullets" policy with a policy of their own: the cartel kidnapped in mid-May 2021, several members of an elite police force in the state of Guanajuato, tortured them to obtain names and addresses . SUGGESTED VIDEOS:Investigations from 9Wants to Know. Prez's brother, Alejandro Prez, was unharmed and told Univision that he saw the moment his sibling was shot at point-blank range. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider Marshals Service The Flores brothers admitted to smuggling at least 1,500 kgs of cocaine for the Sinaloa cartel into the US every month between 2005 and 2008. A seventh restaurant with ties to Colorado Springs also was named in the complaint. In April, the indictment says, a confidential informant recorded several phone calls with Padilla-Romo negotiating a $1,600 price for a half-pound of methamphetamine. ", RELATED: A mom lost her son to an overdose. "Any way you plan it out, there's going to be a large amount of cash around," he said. He told the informant the trap cars he ordered were not ready and had to be redone. The extortion of 80 small-town mayors. Sure you did. 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. Legal Statement. That same day, agents confirmed the car was in the woman's address in Phoenix, Arizona, according to the indictment. If you would like to share a story idea, please submit it here. Los Zetas Cartel is the least influential of the 6 Mexican cartels, but this doesn't mean that its members aren't dangerous people. 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. The drugs were kept in stash houses in Aurora, Colorado, before being distributed at a local grocery store. 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 locally grown hydroponic or high grade weed has not even slowed the Mexican weed sales? Discovery Company. Mexican army soldiers display $15 million U.S. on November 22, 2011, in Mexico City. Denver police are taking a wait-and-see posture as to what may emerge. It is understood that the mutilated corpse in the video belongs to a gunman working for the Sinaloa Cartel, whose former leader, Joaqun Archivaldo Guzmn Loera, otherwise known . Since the 1980s, they have dominated the international narcotics trade. A 50-page version sanitized of confidential information was filed publicly Feb. 22. Please keep your comments respectful and relevant. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. 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. Authorities claimed that Surez was operating a Chevrolet Silverado that had been reported stolen. 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. Here are our rankings using DEA's data: Los Zetas Cartel is the only Mexican cartel that uses New Orleans as a major hub. With everyone able to buy the high grade maryjuana from dispenseries and or knowing someone who can, no one wants the Mexican brick weed even if it has improved. Seven of the defendants are considered fugitives. Market data provided by Factset. 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. 22:55 03 Mar 2023, updated 23:04 03 Mar 2023. Mexican drug cartels also convert wealthy Chinese nationals' Renminbi (RMB) to US dollars at a lower rate than the prevailing market rate. She wants you to know he's more than a number. A Mexican cartel enforcer says Ciudad Juarez is headed for another war >>. On Sept. 19, Rivera-Beltran called Beltran-Beltran and spoke about "chocolate" (believed to be heroin), "paint" (believed to be liquid meth), and prices of meth. Based in the city of Guadalajara, CJNG is the fastest growing drug cartel and the second biggest player in the United States. Were concerned with the public consumption right now, Jackson said. 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. The Defendants from California are Juan Carlos Medina-Soberanis, 31; and Erik Parra. Replicating this kind of aggressive law enforcement take down is critical to breaking the backs of these criminal organizations.. There was a problem saving your notification. Los Zetas Cartel is also the only Mexican cartel that uses Laredo as a major hub. 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. (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. 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. All rights reserved. (File, courtesy of KKTV). 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. 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. Faced with such losses, the violent cartels could force their way in as black market wholesalers or simply rob pot dispensaries, which take only cash and have not been able to establish accounts with banks because of lenders' fears of violating federal laws. 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. Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Community Guidelines | KRDO Jobs | FCC Applications |, KRDO FCC Public File | KRDO FCC Applications, Breaking News 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. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo, File). Jeff Dorschner, Spokesman for the Colorado U.S. Attorneys Office, told Breitbart Texas, During the course of this investigation law enforcement determined that a Mexican Cartel was involved. "Due to its territorial dominance over areas in northeastern Mexico, the Gulf cartel smuggles the majority of its drug shipments between the Rio Grande Valley and South Padre Island in south Texas," the DEA's report says. Contact the writer at 719-636-0362 or find her on Twitter: @njKaitlinDurbin. You can get killed for just walking around the east side. In case of a tie, we rank the city with more powerful cartels higher. Stay up to date with what you want to know. The coalition's members operate in concert to protect themselves, relying on connections at the highest levels and corrupting portions of the federal police . > Top stories from 9NEWS curated daily just for you! Seeing a growing market, Ted Daniels started the company and uses ex-military and law enforcement to provide security for the stores' money and supply shipments, and the growing operations. On Oct. 28, the indictment says Rivera-Beltran asked a woman of she had anyone who could drive a stick shift, and that he had "50" in the car, which agents believed to be 50,000 fentanyl pills. Guzman was tried in New York and found guilty on drug smuggling charges. She wants you to know he's more than a number, 2 Colorado nurses illegally took controlled substances at work, U.S. Attorney's Office says, About 3,184.43 grams of 30 milligram fentanyl pills (about 41,500 pills). All rights reserved. EVERYONE ELSE SHOULD FOLLOW OUR LEAD! Beltran-Leyva Organization (BLO) is the third most significant Mexican drug cartel in the United States, followed by Juarez Cartel, Gulf Cartel, and Los Zetas Cartel. She is a proud Ohioan, champion for local libraries, volunteer reading tutor and an expert ice cream connoisseur (mint chocolate chip!). In addition to the 6.57 kilograms of cocaine packed for distribution, the indictment says officers also found $7,117 in the glovebox. 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. On Oct. 30, the indictment says GPS showed Rodriguez's phone was traveling north on I-25, and around 1040 p.m., he was stopped in the car with Nancy Vargas by Douglas County Sheriff's Office deputies. Five pounds of heroin and four pounds of cocaine were also seized during the investigation, which began in 2018. NOBODY IN THE SURROUNDING DENVER AREA WANTS THAT SHIT NEITHER!!! 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. They've inspired songs and telenovelas. Mexican authorities have yet to comment on Mata's and Martnez's alleged links to the notorious criminal organization. Mexican cartels aren't prevalent in New York City probably because smaller Colombian drug operations still supply large quantities of cocaine and heroin into New York City. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. or redistributed. 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'. In tourist destinations such as Puerto Vallarta, CJNG has become heavily engaged in timeshare fraud, which often targets U.S. citizens. ", Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. We are stronger than this crap. (Luis Velarde and Sarah Hashemi/The Washington Post) Crime scene photo at Taco Star. 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. Rivera-Beltran then said that some of the money was his and told Beltran-Beltran to get a new phone number, the indictment says. The cartel invests substantially to ensure that the right people are in key positions so as to further their objectives. 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. More information about the case was not available on Wednesday, as some of the court documents remained sealed. "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. On Aug. 25, an undercover agent called Jorge Escamilla and had a conversation about "hides and traps in vehicles" before, the indictment says, the conversation turned to Rivera-Beltran. Also on Sept. 18, the indictment says, Beltran-Beltran called Rivera-Beltran about Escamilla bringing $100,000 or $105,000 to Phoenix, which was later seized by authorities. CJNG continues to be the Mexican TCO with second-most widespread national influence. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. . These cartels primarily employ Mexican nationals to oversee their distribution operations in the United States. The indictment says Escamilla called Antonio Ortiz and told him "everything went to hell and that the police got them." The same drug cartels causing chaos on the U.S./Mexico border are also active in Colorado. Boogie! The Colorado Springs restaurants, meanwhile, all remain open. Boulder isn't where the cartels are supplying anyway idiots. It has popped around the world, from Hong Kong to Australia and Argentina to Europe. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. We bet you won't be able to guess the #1 U.S. city that is crowded by these violent Mexican drug cartels. Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting. He was shot 12 times and died, Luis Martnez survived after he was shot twice by the Mexican military following a high-speed chase in the border city of Nuevo Laredo, across from Texas. The latest breaking news, delivered straight to your email! He later bragged to movie star Sean Penn: I supply more heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana than anybody else in the world. That would be one way to break up with someone you don't like, huh? Investigators believed the group was connected to a Mexican cartel, a criminal complaint said. Cartels, especially the Juarez and Sinaloa, who have a strong presence in Colorado, could not have been happy with the estimated $1 million in sales Jan. 1, the first day of legalized retail sales. He faces a mandatory life sentence with no possibility of parole. WASHINGTON Two sons of notorious drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman have been indicted on drug conspiracy charges, the Justice Department s. The U.S. war on drugs began under the administration of Pres. "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. we are going to pay the farmers, again, $100. The Sinaloa cartel is the oldest cartel. On Sept. 24, Rivera-Beltran picked up Guadalupe Ortiz at the Phoenix airport after he missed a previous flight according to texts and GPS pings, the indictment says. The following items were discovered when investigators searched the Kearney Street address, according to the indictment: According to the indictment, that Corvette was the same vehicle driven by Rivera-Beltran during the two drug deals with undercover officers, according to the indictment. Sinaloa Cartel is one of the oldest and most successful drug cartels in Mexico. 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. The document alleged that Surez was also a member of the Cartel del Noreste. He also made calls to customers and suppliers throughout the month, the indictment says. And in 2015, he crawled through an opening in a shower area that led to a mile-long tunnel, escaping the maximum-security Altiplano Federal Prison near Toluca, Mexico. Treasury sanctions eight Mexican. 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. 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 two seized deposit boxes, tied to Monicas Taco Shop, contained more than $800,000, the complaint said. Of the 17 defendants, 11 are from Mexico, four from El Salvador, and two are from California. Flores was identified as Ortiz's girlfriend and told troopers she had driven from Phoenix to Denver to see her boyfriend. The covert operation saw police drop the fake shipment about 40 nautical miles west of Perth, where a shore party allegedly made multiple efforts to locate and retrieve it. POLL: How will the Rockies fare this season in the NL West? A money transfer station at the grocery store was used to send some of the proceeds back to Mexico. Executions, not just of petty dealers but of prominent business executives, livestock farmers and peasant leaders. Skier Shiffrin's quest for 86th win extended after downhill, Colorado mountain communities consider legal action against USPS, 77 inches of snow fall at Colorado ski area in 9 days, DEA seizes more than 110,000 fentanyl-laced pills, issues 19 indictments, All-time high overdose deaths in country Colorado deaths up 34%, DEA warns of increase in fake prescription pills containing fentanyl, meth, A mom lost her son to an overdose. It is the 4th most powerful Mexican drug cartel operating in the United States. 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. 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 indictment says Tarango-Rodriguez also told Rivera-Beltran that it would be done very quickly, which agents believed to be in reference to the drug deal. LOL, the Zetas were saying don't bother kidnapping those two, they are so stupid their families wouldn't want them back. 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. You can go to Tijuana, you can usually kind of fly under the radar for a while in Juarez, but Nuevo Laredo, come on. Drug cartels are extremely well-organized, well-financed, efficient, and ruthless. "Legal businesses will likely see a rise in extortion attempts while law enforcement will see a lot of backdoor deals being made.". Later that day, they spoke about trying to get a car out of impound, and both said they couldn't rely on Martiza anymore, according to the indictment. Sinaloa Cartel. 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. A sixth shooting victim, who was wounded and is fighting for his life at a local hospital, also belongs to the same criminal organization. After multiple messages were exchanged, the indictment says, surveillance captured them meeting at a gas station, hugging and Zytacua getting in and out of her car. The cartels and the drug trade fuel rampant corruption and. While the wiretap investigation was beginning, the indictment says an undercover officer was introduced to Saul Ramon Rivera-Beltran. 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. Tarango-Rodriguez went into the address and returned with two trash bags, which the indictment said were given to occupants of Trevizo's vehicle.