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. An intelligence report that was reviewed by TV Azteca claimed Mata had a criminal background record in San Antonio, Texas. Surez, who hours before the incident had learned he was going to be a father for the first time, was shot 12 times and died. 02-22-2022. In addition to more than 110,000 fentanyl-laced counterfeit pills, the DEA said it seized numerous other drugs and weapons. 22:55 03 Mar 2023, updated 23:04 03 Mar 2023. Mexican drug cartels are leading suppliers of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and other illicit narcotics to the United States. Agents followed the truck onto I-70 and stopped it outside of Glenwood Springs, according to the indictment. RELATED: DEA warns of increase in fake prescription pills containing fentanyl, meth. The Sinaloa Cartel Is Controlling Water in Drought-Stricken Mexico "Water is now a valuable asset for us, and as it becomes more scarce, the more we will fight to make sure we have enough," a. They spoke about introducing Escamilla to another undercover agent as well as purchasing some "blues," which investigators knew to be fentanyl pills, the indictment says. "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. 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. Rodolfos Mexican Grill is in Cheyenne, Wyo., where the investigation began with a suspicious vehicle purchase. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. However, after the cartel was involved in the 1985 torture and murder of a U.S. drug . I want to congratulate the outstanding federal, state, and local law enforcement cooperation that resulted in this highly successful operation. 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. According to the DEA, these six Mexican drug cartels generate tens of billions of dollars every year and employ a multitude of financial transactions and arrangements to launder and smuggle their earnings into Mexico. You can go to Tijuana, you can usually kind of fly under the radar for a while in Juarez, but Nuevo Laredo, come on. The violent and powerful Sinaloa cartel forced the Mexican authorities to surrender and hand over El Chapo's son Ovidio Guzman. 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. 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. In addition, two related defendants were identified and arrested after the indictment, the district attorney's office said. 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. WE HAVE THE BEST OF THE BEST AND ITS SO AFFORDABLE NOW..25 FOR AN 1/8.COLORADO HAS THEIR SHIT TOGETHER AND HAS CHOSEN TO GO AFTER THE HARD DRUGS AND LET THE GOOD PEOPLE SMOKE THEIR WEED!!!! She is a proud Ohioan, champion for local libraries, volunteer reading tutor and an expert ice cream connoisseur (mint chocolate chip!). 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. Treasury sanctions eight Mexican. 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. He faces a mandatory life sentence with no possibility of parole. "Legal businesses will likely see a rise in extortion attempts while law enforcement will see a lot of backdoor deals being made.". Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. "There has also been evidence of the utilization of cryptocurrencies by Mexican TCOs as a means by which to transfer their wealth internationally" said the DEA. According to the DEA's assessment, however, the amount of US territory controlled by Mexican cartels has shifted slightly from 2015 to 2016. DENVER Authorities on Wednesday announced the indictments of 30 people who are accused of being members of a Denver-based drug trafficking group with suspected ties to a Mexican cartel, according to officials and court documents. However, his mother, Jennifer Castillo, showed proof of a Texas-issued temporary license plate and said she had title of the vehicle, which Surez purchased in February. 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. Trevizo and Tarango-Rodriguez then drove separately to a residence at 6841 Locust St. Comments are moderated, refer to policy for more information.Enva fotos, vdeos, notas, enlaces o informacin Todo 100% Annimo;borderlandbeat@gmail.com. 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 am a regular poster to bb and I live in Boulder, We have 50,000 college students and more hippies then woodstock, We have more medical marijuana dispensaries than starbucks and ALOT of people smoke weed in this city, If the cartels are here they stay hid really well, The police are so lax on tokers here you could blow smoke in their face and they would smile, From a business perspective I'm sure Boulder is a giant cash cow for them. You can review our Community Guidelines by clicking here. Luis Martnez, who was shot two times and remained in an induced coma as of Friday, was also an alleged member of the Cartel del Noreste, according to his Facebook account. The cartels and the drug trade fuel rampant corruption and. Authorities believe a woman accessing the safe-deposit boxes faked pregnancies to make deposits, carrying the cash inside of a false belly.. 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. He also told the informant a load he was waiting for had arrived, and he could give the informant 40 pounds of meth, according to the indictment. There was a problem saving your notification. He reportedly operated under the aliases of 'El Gus' and 'El Baby Syko.'. "This was an industry here that created a lot of challenges," Daniels told WDVR television news in Denver Jan. 7. 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. Guzman was tried in New York and found guilty on drug smuggling charges. 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. One veteran border narcotics agent told FoxNews.com Colorado's legal pot industry will find it hard to keep the criminals from horning in on a lucrative business they once controlled. Based on calls and surveillance, the investigators said, it was clear a drug transaction took place for more than seven grams of meth. 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 ascendant Jalisco New Generation cartel, formed from an offshoot of the Sinaloa cartel around 2010, has also made inroads in the US. "Any way you plan it out, there's going to be a large amount of cash around," he said. Joaquin Guzman-Loera (AKA's Chapo, Chapo Guzman, El Rapido) is a Mexican National. 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. 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 says traffics a significant proportion of the illegal fentanyl and other drugs that enter the US. we are going to pay the farmers, again, $100. Disclosure: 13 US Cities That Are Crowded By Mexican Drug Cartels is originally published at Insider Monkey. You might want to lay off the coffee and keep an eye on the soapbox because you are tripping over it. Click to skip ahead and see the list of top 5 cities that are crowded by Mexican drug cartels. 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. All rights reserved. Mexico's president, Andrs Manuel Lpez Obrador, rode to power in 2018 on the slogan "hugs not . Market data provided by Factset. "CJNG's rapid territorial expansion is characterized by the organization's willingness to engage in violent confrontations with Mexican Government security forces and rival cartels," as in a 2015 incident in which CJNG gunmen downed a Mexican military helicopter, as well as more recent cases of grisly displays left behind in Tijuana. Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting. Rivera-Beltran responded they would ask "Canelo" (later identified as Cesar Antonio Ortiz) for 100 more "buttons," according to the indictment. The identity of that cartel is not being released as it remains the subject of an ongoing criminal investigation.. The queens of the Mexican drug cartels are fond of tight jeans, red lipstick and stilettos. The owner of the Colorado Springs dispensary told the Denver Post he is planning to get a concealed-weapons permit, for protection when he has to move money out of the store. The cartel invests substantially to ensure that the right people are in key positions so as to further their objectives. 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. 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. 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-CNN-Wire & 2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. A wiretap order was also signed for Zytacua's phone number, the indictment says. 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. 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. "In recent years, the Gulf cartel has weakened due to the arrest of key leaders in Mexico and intra-cartel conflict, which has led to a decline in its drug trafficking influence in the United States.". A similar incident occurred on 5 November when a group of cartel gunmen executed a pair of drug dealers from a rival gang on a beach at Puerto Morelos, another popular beach area south of Cancun. All rights reserved. There are reasons to doubt the cohesion of the Sinaloa cartel, especially in light of the protracted incarceration of its nominal leader, Joaqun "El Chapo" Guzmn, and recent reports of infighting between factions of the group in Sinaloa state, its heartland. Sign up for the 9NEWSLETTERright now to get cant-miss stories, Next and Broncos content, weather and more delivered right to your inbox. Guzman-Loera is the leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, becoming involved in drug trafficking in the late 1980s. 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. DENVER (AP) - The U.S. Department of Justice says two Mexican cartels are active in five Colorado cities. 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. 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. Mexican drug cartels control vast swaths of the US drug market, but that influence remains heavily slanted in favor of the vaunted Sinaloa cartel. The Colorado Springs restaurants, meanwhile, all remain open. Defendants have denied involvement in the scheme. South Texas remains a redoubt of the Gulf cartel, despite that organization's clashes with Mexican law enforcement, rival cartels, and between internal factions. Replicating this kind of aggressive law enforcement take down is critical to breaking the backs of these criminal organizations.. Drug seized by authorities in a years-long investigation. Rivera-Beltran said he had guns and "almonds," believed to be fentanyl pills, at the house. Mexican cities have seen widespread arson and shootings by drug cartels. 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. On. Mexican drug cartels control vast swaths of the US drug market, but that influence remains heavily slanted in favor of the vaunted Sinaloa cartel. Nuevo Laredo is the worst of all the border cities for kidnapping US citizens. (Luis Velarde and Sarah Hashemi/The Washington Post) Four soldiers were placed under arrest Thursday for the murder of the five men. You can get killed for just walking around the east side. In one conversation, the indictment says the two spoke about the price of ounces, pounds and "balls," which investigators identified as "eight balls" of meth. Comments are open to Gazette subscribers only. After consenting to a vehicle search, Diarte told the troopers someone put a box in his suitcase and was going to pay him $10,000 to transport it to Los Angeles, the indictment says. 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'. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Kaitlin is a public safety reporter with a focus on investigations. Its origins can be traced to the Guadalajara cartel, which was one of Mexico's largest crime organizations in the early 1980s. The indictment says Trevizo's vehicle was pulled over by officers after it left the residence. On Aug. 17, agents intercepted a call between Rivera-Beltran and Miguel Diarte, and the indictment says they learned Diarte was transporting a large load of narcotics from Los Angeles to Aurora.