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. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 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. The defendants are alleged to have brought large quantities of cocaine and methamphetamine into the United States through California using secret compartments in vehicles. You can get killed for just walking around the east side. Escamilla called Beltran-Beltran later that night, who told Escamilla he needed to pick up 24,000 pills that were moved out of the house after the traffic stop, according to the indictment. we are going to pay the farmers, again, $100. Nuevo Laredo is the worst of all the border cities for kidnapping US citizens. A friend dedicated a post to Mata with a photo of him holding a rifle and the name of the criminal organization spelled across under its initials. In Colorado Springs, those are three Taco Star eateries, at 318 N. Wahsatch Ave., 7434 Ridgewood Drive and 605 N. Circle Drive; two Monicas Taco Shops, at 30 E. Fillmore St. and 5829 Palmer Park Blvd. The gangs appear to be targeting stores, vehicles and bystanders in response to disputes or attempts to capture gang members. In addition to more than 110,000 fentanyl-laced counterfeit pills, the DEA said it seized numerous other drugs and weapons. 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. A K9 alerted to the car, and a search warrant was excited that led to the discovery of 30,000 suspect fentanyl pills weighing around 3,433 grams hidden behind the taillight, according to the indictment. 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. Trevizo and Tarango-Rodriguez then drove separately to a residence at 6841 Locust St. Is comparing Colorado Springs' and Denver's homeless populations fair or unfair? I can buy a pound in texas for 300 to 400 and bring it to MN and sell for 1000-1500 and thats where all the shit brick trees go, Mexican drug cartels are getting into the game of hydroponics. The violent and powerful Sinaloa cartel forced the Mexican authorities to surrender and hand over El Chapo's son Ovidio Guzman. 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. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) - A Sierra High School student was shot off-campus on Tuesday. 02-22-2022. Severe Weather The Sinaloa Cartel, often described as the largest and most powerful drug trafficking organization in the Western Hemisphere, is an alliance of some of Mexico's top capos. The highly-trained and combat-experienced guards are heavily-armed with assault rifles and protective vests. Too funny for words! Disclosure: 13 US Cities That Are Crowded By Mexican Drug Cartels is originally published at Insider Monkey. Rivera Beltran said he would pay $500 to the person and get him a plane ticket, the indictment says. It is also the most significant drug trafficking organization in the United States. However, after the cartel was involved in the 1985 torture and murder of a U.S. drug . Mexican authorities have yet to comment on Mata's and Martnez's alleged links to the notorious criminal organization. More information about the case was not available on Wednesday, as some of the court documents remained sealed. The next day, the indictment says, agents arranged surveillance on I-70 in Summit County of a car rented in Arizona by Diarte. In June 1993, Guzman-Loera was arrested in Chiapas, Mexico and sentenced to a 20-year prison term. Sinaloa Cartel is one of the oldest and most successful drug cartels in Mexico. 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. Defendants have denied involvement in the scheme. According to their guilty pleas, they also sent. During a two-year investigation spanning several states, federal agents and the Evansville-Vanderburgh County Joint Task Force recovered more than 123 pounds of methamphetamine, 500 oxycodone. In tourist destinations such as Puerto Vallarta, CJNG has become heavily engaged in timeshare fraud, which often targets U.S. citizens. 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. Rivera-Beltran then called Maritza, and, according to the indictment, asked if she found food and money in the house and said "that was a good stash house." Photos shared by Mata's friends on social media showed him holding a rifle and wearing a black vest with the Cartel del Noreste's (Northeast Cartel) initials, 'CDN,' across the chest and ammunition hanging from it. 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. "In the past 31 days of 2023, there have been 1,937 Mexican Cartel drone's incursions in three South Texas border counties," according to a preview of Martinez's remarks as a witness in the House . They Bombs Away, Mexico, Yemen, and Somalia! 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. Tarango-Rodriguez went into the address and returned with two trash bags, which the indictment said were given to occupants of Trevizo's vehicle. They also spoke about "almonds" and how Beltran-Beltran would not be paying Escamilla a courier fee because of a $5,000 debt. 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. Sure you did. In 2001, he spent $2.5 million in bribes to escape the maximum-security Puente Grande prison in Jalisco, Mexico, in a laundry cart. I'm scared! Now Guzmn is expected to be sent to Colorados maximum-security prison in Florence, the U.S. Penitentiary, Administrative Maximum Facility, better known as Supermax. The Marijuana Enforcement Division of the Colorado Department of Revenue, the primary enforcement office responsible for overseeing the production and sale of the retail marijuana, did not return repeated attempts by Fox News.com for comment. 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 Colorado Springs restaurants, meanwhile, all remain open. 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. 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. It's important to note that the Sinaloa cartel doesn't function quite like a traditional, hierarchical cartel. Behind the nicknames of notorious Mexican drug cartel figures In Texas, the many offices appear to have their time spent dealing with cases involving the Sinaloa, Gulf, Juarez, the Knights Templar . 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). 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. An intelligence report that was reviewed by TV Azteca claimed Mata had a criminal background record in San Antonio, Texas. It has popped around the world, from Hong Kong to Australia and Argentina to Europe. 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. 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. "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.". According to the DEA's assessment, however, the amount of US territory controlled by Mexican cartels has shifted slightly from 2015 to 2016. The latest breaking news, delivered straight to your email! 13 US Cities That Are Crowded By Mexican Drug Cartels, Death toll in strike on Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia rises to 11 - officials, UPDATE 1-Bankman-Fried can have flip phone, limited internet while on bail, US proposes, China's economy, government revamp in focus as parliament set to open, The U.S. government is turning up the heat on TikTok here's the latest, Bankman-Fried can have flip phone, limited internet while on bail, US proposes. 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. 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. Inside the vehicle, the indictment says, investigators found 5,636.88 grams of cocaine also packaged as bricks with the word "CHANEL" stamped on them. That would be one way to break up with someone you don't like, huh? This organization is alleged to have moved large amounts of meth and cocaine from Mexico to Colorado, with devastating impact on communities in their wake. 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. 9Wants to Know examined a situation report from the US Department of Justice National Drug Intelligence Center, which says the Juarez and Sinaloa cartels are active in five Colorado cities. The Treasury sanctioned eight Mexican companies accused of being involved in a timeshare fraud scheme controlled by one of Mexico's most infamous drug cartels. 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 said he had guns and "almonds," believed to be fentanyl pills, at the house. These cartels primarily employ Mexican nationals to oversee their distribution operations in the United States. 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. Authorities claimed that Surez was operating a Chevrolet Silverado that had been reported stolen. Several agencies investigated the case: The FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the IRS, the Douglas County Sheriff's Office, Colorado State Patrol, and the Aurora Police Department. 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. The U.S. Attorney's Office in Denver is prosecuting the case. Treasury sanctions eight Mexican. Sinaloa cartel, international crime organization that is among the most-powerful drug-trafficking syndicates in the world. "Mexican drug cartels in Boulder (Nanooo Nanooo), NORAD Central/ Air Force Academy and Dullsville-Pueblo, too. Los Zetas Cartel is also the only Mexican cartel that uses Dallas as a major hub. Scott Simon talks with Vice News Correspondent Emily Green about the increased role of Mexican drug cartels in the avocado and lime business. 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. 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. Comments are open to Gazette subscribers only. 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. (Luis Velarde and Sarah Hashemi/The Washington Post) Contact the writer at 719-636-0362 or find her on Twitter: @njKaitlinDurbin. 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. Fountain woman to get no jail time for sexually assaulting 13-year-old, mother unhappy with plea deal. 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. 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. 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. The indictment says Escamilla called Antonio Ortiz and told him "everything went to hell and that the police got them." 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. A Mexican cartel enforcer says Ciudad Juarez is headed for another war >>. 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. The state of Colorado was the first to officially legalize marijuana and to offer recreational marijuana in 2014. . 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 Sinaloa cartel is the oldest cartel. Juarez Cartel is also the only Mexican cartel that uses El Paso as a major hub. 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. ; and the Albertacos at 4494 Austin Bluffs Parkway. A sixth. He . RELATED:. 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 . They set up a perimeter around the area and insisted those inside turn themselves in. She wants you to know he's more than a number. 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. A lot of "somebody's" are buying this stuff cause the shipments keep coming and the dollars keep going to the cartels? 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. Mexican drug cartels control vast swaths of the US drug market, but that influence remains heavily slanted in favor of the vaunted Sinaloa cartel. Flores was identified as Ortiz's girlfriend and told troopers she had driven from Phoenix to Denver to see her boyfriend. Happy Halloween, Borderland Beat. While the wiretap investigation was beginning, the indictment says an undercover officer was introduced to Saul Ramon Rivera-Beltran. plus 'Those cities are Denver, Boulder, Colorado Springs, Grand Junction, and Longmont. Agents saw Escamilla arrive at the rental car agency, and tracked him back to his home where he loaded the rental truck with several backpacks and a tan bag, the indictment says. 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. Market data provided by Factset. Antonio Ortiz said Rodriguez needed to make up for money that was previously seized by law enforcement, the discussed losing trust in Escamilla, discussed "almonds (believed to be fentanyl pills), and Rivera ended the call by saying he would bring up four more boxes of pills and to kilos of heroin, according to the indictment. 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. Even back before the break of the war, US gov was warning against going there. Sinaloa Cartel. The Defense Department said the soldiers acted on their own and shot at the vehicle after they heard a loud noise following the crash. No arrests have been made, but a cashier told The Gazette that all employees in the restaurant that night then returned to Mexico. In August, the indictment says, agents began wiretaps on the phone number that belonged to Rivera-Beltran. According to the US Treasury, who coordinated with the Mexican government, the perpetrators of the fraud have at times falsely claimed to represent US government entities. "This was an industry here that created a lot of challenges," Daniels told WDVR television news in Denver Jan. 7. Investigators said Rivera-Beltran's comments proved he knew about the drugs at the stash house (some of which were discovered in the locations he mentioned), as well as his participation in the drug conspiracy and clean-up efforts, according to the indictment. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Five minutes later, the indictment says, Trevizo called Tarango-Rodriguez and told him he had arrived. Texas' most dangerous gangs are Tango Blast and associated Tango cliques, with an estimated 19,000 members, Texas Mexican Mafia, with about 4,100 members, Latin Kings, with 1,300 members, and Mara . Police believe the shooting was tied to a drug deal that took place along West Monica Drive near . 'The Sinaloa and Juarez cartels are active from the Starbucks locales there in Boulder!' It is based in Culiacn, Sinaloa state, Mexico. Rivera-Beltran then said that some of the money was his and told Beltran-Beltran to get a new phone number, the indictment says. ", Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. Through these calls, the agents determined Tarango-Rodriguez was Padilla-Romo's source of drugs, according to the indictment. Los Zetas Cartel is the least influential of the 6 Mexican cartels, but this doesn't mean that its members aren't dangerous people. Twenty-five people have been arrested on drug trafficking charges in the case and five others remain at-large, including four in Mexico. Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting. 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. Well cartels and Mexican maryjuana did take a hit in Colorado. Give us another trillion $$$$$$$$$$$ to 'serve and protect' you!Tele '9Wants to Know examined a situation report from the US Department of Justice National Drug Intelligence Center, which says the Juarez and Sinaloa cartels are active in five Colorado cities. Add Pueblo Colorado to the list. The five men were shot and killed when Surez, a resident from San Antonio, Texas, refused orders to pull over. The identity of that cartel is not being released as it remains the subject of an ongoing criminal investigation.. Daily Briefing Joaquin Archivaldo Guzman Loera . They each face homicide, bodily injury and disobedience charges. The indictment says Trevizo's vehicle was pulled over by officers after it left the residence. As the smoke settles from the first week of legal marijuana sales in Colorado, experts are warning that sanctioned pot dealers could become targets for the very folks they put out of business. FILE - In this Feb. 10, 2020 file photo, a policeman drives past town hall in Apaseo El Alto, Guanajuato state, Mexico. 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 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. 22:55 03 Mar 2023, updated 23:04 03 Mar 2023. Most were never released. Mexican drug cartels control vast swaths of the US drug market, but that influence remains heavily slanted in favor of the vaunted Sinaloa cartel. Jalisco New Generation. According to newspaper Tribuna San Luis, Municipal Police with the support of the Mexican Army (SEDENA) surrounded a building on Hidalgo Avenue and 20th Street where a vehicle matching this description had been spotted. All rights reserved. Troopers located the box and found about 728.8 grams of heroin, about 2.32 kilos of several pre-packaged blue 30-milligram fentanyl pills and about 32.3 grams of meth seized from Ernestina Montoya, a passenger in the car, according to the indictment. 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. 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. Drug cartels are extremely well-organized, well-financed, efficient, and ruthless. Documents filed Wednesday . Mexico's president, Andrs Manuel Lpez Obrador, rode to power in 2018 on the slogan "hugs not . Our children stronger than we give them credit. Zambada now is assumed to head the Sinoloa Cartel. 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. A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging 17 defendants for drug trafficking in direct connection with a Mexican drug cartel. [The sniper rifles flowing to Mexican. You can review our Community Guidelines by clicking here. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, This crime, which can defraud victims of their life savings, results in another significant revenue stream for the cartel and strengthens its overall criminal enterprise. 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. 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. Morning Forecast On Aug 19., the indictment says, state troopers stopped Anali Saavedra Flores on I-25. 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. They clearly don't care about violating the employment discrimination laws. We bet you won't be able to guess the #1 U.S. city that is crowded by these violent Mexican drug cartels. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 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. Cartel boss Carlos Enrique Sanchez, 'El Cholo', appeared in a video shortly before found dead in a Mexico park. 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. The money was seized from alleged members of the Guzman Loera drug cartel . It is believed to have a more horizontal structure, as an organization of allied factions, frequently working together but often in control of different aspects of the drug production, trafficking, and distribution processes. (YouTube) Mexican authorities believe a body found wrapped in plastic and left . 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 .