Six people have been arrested by ICE on various drug trafficking charges involving crack cocaine. Assistant U.S. The rules have been extended until at least June 21, but Mexican authorities have allowed most U.S. citizens to walk or drive south across the border with relative ease. Mryna Montemayor, a public defender representing Barboza, did not respond to an email seeking comment. Gustavo Hernandez-Loaiza, 38, of Albuquerque, N.M., is charged in Counts 1, 2 and 21 of the indictment. They will be charged in criminal complaints to be filed today with drug trafficking and money laundering offenses. The meth, and an accompanying 127 pounds of fentanyl powder that U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers discovered Aug. 5, had an estimated street value of more than $12.9 million, according to officials. They believe those drugs were purchased from a supplier in San Diego. ", Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. According to a re Cargo trucks line up to cross into the United States at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry near the border in Tijuana on April 2, 2019. Natalie Mendoza Counts 1, 2, 5, 7, 9, 10 and 12. The maximum penalty on conviction is from 10 years to life in prison. Targeting members of major heroin and opioid trafficking organizations for investigation and prosecution is a priority of the HOPE Initiative. Homeland Security Investigators. 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Fax (505) 346-7296. The maximum statutory penalty for a conviction on each of these counts is imprisonment for four years and a $250,000 fine. Sheriff Manuel Gonzales said in a statement that such operations in Albuquerque continue to produce results that are helping to make the community safer. Twenty-three of the 28 defendants are in custody, including 20 who were arrested during todays law enforcement operation. Reyes Complaint. Count 42 charges a defendant with managing or controlling a residence for storing controlled substances. AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) - After a case involving undercover investigation, surveillance, cross-country travel, and the Amarillo Police Department SWAT . The overt acts describe the expansive sweep of the DTOs drug distribution operation and the significant quantities of drugs involved. Why California bills to crack down on fentanyl dealers have been doomed in the state Legislature Luis Angel Briseo-Lopez, 30, a Mexican national believed to reside in Juarez, Mexico, is charged in Counts 1-4, 6, 13-17, 20-21, 23, 25-26, 29, 31-32 and 34-39 of the indictment. Get the Android Weather app from Google Play, Devils blank Rangers in Game 7, face Canes in second, Harden scores 45, hits late 3 as 76ers down Celtics, Met Gala: Rihanna, Jared Leto as Choupette, Kim K., Serena Williams, Karlie Kloss reveal pregnancies, Phillies slugger Harper expected to return to lineup, Braves slugger Ronald Acua Jr. exits game after, a September 1 search of multiple locations, KRQE-Emerson Poll: Majority of New Mexicans think crime has gotten worse, Bernalillo County and Albuquerque team up for fentanyl education program. But the suspect deputies say had. Targeting members of major heroin and opioid trafficking organizations for investigation and prosecution is a priority of the HOPE Initiative. Crime and Public Safety | A criminal complaint says authorities found the drugs on the floorboard of Ingrams vehicle and in two bags that were hidden in the vehicles engine compartment. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! Dear Abby: I have a great life, so why have I fallen into this shameful behavior? The maximum penalty on conviction varies for each defendant. In a September 1 search of multiple locations around the city, law enforcement say they recovered more than 1 million fentanyl pills. Through todays announcement, the law enforcement community is sending a loud and clear message to those who traffic drugs in our communities that they cannot commit crimes in New Mexico without consequence., Today law enforcement in New Mexico and West Texas has dealt a severe blow to a drug trafficking organization with ties to a Mexican drug cartel, said DEA Special Agent in Charge Glaspy. According to court records, Seibel, assisted by his co-conspirators included Pettit and Dockery, allegedly sold blues, which are counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl, as well as fentanyl pills manufactured in Albuquerque using a pill press machine. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Cantu estimates the number of cases he's handled of U.S. citizens facing drug smuggling charges has doubled since 2019. Drug raid:Italy seizes 4 tons of cocaine worth $256 million in bust linked to Colombian drug operation. Two other defendants are charged in a criminal complaint with heroin trafficking offenses arising out of the seizure of approximately 17.8 pounds of heroin by the Hatch Police Department during a traffic stop near Hatch, N.M., on April 20, 2017. Former acting ICE director Tom Homan on the migrant surge and the number of illegal border crossings is unprecedented.. Count 12 charges certain defendants with possession with intent to distribute 280 grams or more of cocaine base. U.S. government destroying the dollars value through inflation. U.S. citizens were apprehended nearly seven times more often than Mexican citizens between October 2020 and March 31 for trying to smuggle drugs in vehicles, U.S. Customs and Border Protection data shows. 0:00. Gutierrez was arrested this morning in Belen. Illegal fentanyl, a synthetic opioid thats much stronger than morphine, is primarily produced in Mexico, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency. In announcing the charges, Acting U.S. Attorney Tierney said, This investigation and its resulting prosecutions are about taking control of our streets. The investigation concluded this morning with an early morning, multi-agency law enforcement operation which included the execution of arrest warrants in New Mexico and Texas, and the execution of six search warrants at locations in El Paso, Tex., Sunland Park, N.M., Belen, N.M., and Albuquerque, N.M. Acting U.S. Attorney James D. Tierney and Special Agent in Charge Will R. Glaspy of the DEAs El Paso Division announced the results of the investigation this afternoon during a press conference in Las Cruces, N.M. Rodriguez has yet to be arrested and is considered a fugitive. Additionally, defendant Edvardo Carlson is alleged to have conducted drug transactions at Ryan Rodriguezs direction. We are proud to partner with these other fine law enforcement agencies as we work together to protect our citizens and our future from the selfish criminals that look to profit by exploiting our neighborhoods and our children, said, Jeffrey D. Self, Chief Patrol Agent, El Paso Sector. Luna-Rosales has yet to be arrested and is considered a fugitive. Ibarra has yet to be arrested and is considered a fugitive. Wendy won SPJs Sol Price Award for Responsible Journalism in 2012 for her coverage of corruption at the Sweetwater schools, and she won the Grand Golden Watchdog Award from the San Diego County Taxpayers Association in 2017. The indictment includes 77 overt acts allegedly committed by the defendants in furtherance of the drug trafficking conspiracy. Are you having Trouble Finding the Page you are looking for? The drug bust was the latest step in Operation Atonement, an FBI operation aimed at dismantling the Syndicato de Nuevo Mexico (SNM) prison gang. We are honored to work hand in hand with our federal partners, the DEA and the U.S. Attorneys Office in achieving the ultimate goal of keeping our streets safe., Doa Ana County Sheriff Enrique Vigil said, I can say with confidence that our local law-enforcement agencies are committed to doing all that we can to bring fugitives to justice, and will continue working together to make our great state of New Mexico a safe place. Briseo-Lopez has yet to be arrested and is considered a fugitive. Working in partnership with the DEA, the Bernalillo County Opioid Accountability Initiative, Healing Addiction in our Community (HAC), the Albuquerque Public Schools and other community stakeholders, HOPEs principal goals are to protect our communities from the dangers associated with heroin and opioid painkillers and reducing the number of opioid-related deaths in New Mexico.