FILE - In this Feb. 10, 2020 file photo, a policeman drives past town hall in Apaseo El Alto, Guanajuato state, Mexico. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. I want to congratulate the outstanding federal, state, and local law enforcement cooperation that resulted in this highly successful operation. Trevizo and Tarango-Rodriguez then drove separately to a residence at 6841 Locust St. The Colorado Springs restaurants, meanwhile, all remain open. Most were never released. The Vigilance Project - Mexican Cartels and Drug Trafficking Training WASHINGTON Two sons of notorious drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman have been indicted on drug conspiracy charges, the Justice Department s. 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. The legal marijuana industry could be the fastest growing sector of the. 'Add Pueblo Colorado to the list. Cartel boss Carlos Enrique Sanchez, 'El Cholo', appeared in a video shortly before found dead in a Mexico park. The two seized deposit boxes, tied to Monicas Taco Shop, contained more than $800,000, the complaint said. 21 charged in Cartel-linked drug distribution ring in Colorado - KMGH Since the 1980s, they have dominated the international narcotics trade. U.S. Legalization of Marijuana Has Hit Mexican Cartels' Border Trade - Time In 2001, he spent $2.5 million in bribes to escape the maximum-security Puente Grande prison in Jalisco, Mexico, in a laundry cart. Antiono Ortiz the said that he wanted Escamilla to transport $70,000 for him as well, and Rivera-Beltran called Escamilla the next day to confirm the amounts he was taking on the trip. 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. Treasury sanctions eight Mexican. Sinaloa cartel | History, Activities, Leaders, & Facts | Britannica The Sinaloa Cartel had its origin in 1989, after Miguel ngel Flix Gallardo, the main leader of the Guadalajara Cartel, was captured and transferred to a maximum security prison and could not continue with the control of his organization, causing a division that would give life to two new cartels, among them the one in Sinaloa. Then I wonder where shipment after shipment, literally TONS of that weed from Mexico is going? DEA Maps of Mexican Cartels in the US - Business Insider All rights reserved. This is probably not the last time you hear about CJNG as it is more willing to engage in violent confrontations with rival cartels and security forces. How NINE Mexican cartels are responsible for flooding the streets of 'Narco of narcos': drug lord Rafael Caro Quintero arrested in Mexico Sinaloa Cartel. Rivera-Beltran said he had guns and "almonds," believed to be fentanyl pills, at the house. There are sooo many opiate addicts in colorado from high school to your grandma its crazy. Zambada now is assumed to head the Sinoloa Cartel. 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. Boulder isn't where the cartels are supplying anyway idiots. Contact the writer at 719-636-0362 or find her on Twitter: @njKaitlinDurbin. Market data provided by Factset. Mexican Cartel Violence | Fox News 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. When authorities arrived at the residence to serve the warrant, the indictment says, officers made contact with Gustavo Labrador-Valderrama, as well as Christian Gerardo Beltran-Beltran, who ran away from the scene. Replicating this kind of aggressive law enforcement take down is critical to breaking the backs of these criminal organizations.. It is also the most significant drug trafficking organization in the United States. Tarango-Rodriguez and Martiza exchanged multiple phone calls the morning after the search warrant was served, and the indictment said Rivera-Beltran could be heard talking to Tarango-Rodriguez in the calls. "The Sinaloa Cartel exports and distributes wholesale amounts of methamphetamine, marijuana, cocaine, and heroin in the United States by maintaining key distribution hubs in Phoenix, Los Angeles, Denver, and Chicago, among other cities," the DEA reports. Jalisco New Generation. 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. 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. In 2012 the Mexican Competitiveness Institute issued a report saying that Mexicos cartels would lose as much as $1.425 billion if Colorado legalized marijuana. 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. 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 . 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. Legalization Effects on Cartels | War on Drugs Around 6:36 p.m. that evening, Tarango-Rodriguez called Rivera-Beltran and asked if he could use a truck inside Rivera-Beltran's carport for five minutes, according to the indictment. Example video title will go here for this video. A 50-page version sanitized of confidential information was filed publicly Feb. 22. 02-22-2022. Sign up for the 9NEWSLETTERright now to get cant-miss stories, Next and Broncos content, weather and more delivered right to your inbox. 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. "This group I put together is designed specifically to protect product, people, and money. 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. On Sept. 29, the indictment says Rivera Beltran called Antonio Ortiz and they spoke how they didn't have anyone bringing heroin to Colorado, and said that Alberto "Chemo" Sanchez Rodriguez could even though he usually only transported money. Meth pipeline into Midwest reveals CJNG drug cartel's 'honey hole' While the wiretap investigation was beginning, the indictment says an undercover officer was introduced to Saul Ramon Rivera-Beltran. Heroin is where their making money. 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. 'Yes, the Boulder area could be a giant cash cow for the Department of Homeland Security Cartel! Executions, not just of petty dealers but of prominent business executives, livestock farmers and peasant leaders. RELATED: All-time high overdose deaths in country Colorado deaths up 34%. She is a proud Ohioan, champion for local libraries, volunteer reading tutor and an expert ice cream connoisseur (mint chocolate chip!). There are at least 13 U.S. cities that are used as distribution hubs by the Mexican drug cartels. They clearly don't care about violating the employment discrimination laws. Twenty-five people have been arrested on drug trafficking charges in the case and five others remain at-large, including four in Mexico. He faces a mandatory life sentence with no possibility of parole. Their families would laugh and say keep them. Police believe the shooting was tied to a drug deal that took place along West Monica Drive near . The organization's purpose was distributing large amounts of drugs including fentanyl, heroin, methamphetamine and cocaine throughout the Denver metro area as well as Arapahoe, Douglas, and Jefferson counties, the indictment says. 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. El Mencho's Mexican cartel CJNG supplied drugs to Portland, Oregon Biden administration sanctions what it says is a timeshare fraud The DEA said 21 suspects were identified during the investigation into the organization linked to the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico. Mexican army soldiers display $15 million U.S. on November 22, 2011, in Mexico City. The attacks are in response to the arrest of El Chapo's son Ovidio Credit: AP. Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. 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. Chinese nationals aren't allowed to transfer their wealth outside of China, so they are willing to pay Mexican drug cartels a premium for the cartels' US dollar cash holdings in exchange for RMB payments in China. 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. Mexican drug cartel gunmen on jetskis open fire at Cancun resort Investigators said Rivera-Beltran began negotiating with a person later identified as Juan Francisco "Guerito" Sarabia-Mancinas for pounds of meth and pills believed to be fake 30-milligram oxycodone pills. 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. ", RELATED: A mom lost her son to an overdose. You might want to lay off the coffee and keep an eye on the soapbox because you are tripping over it. The ascendant Jalisco New Generation cartel, formed from an offshoot of the Sinaloa cartel around 2010, has also made inroads in the US. Jalisco New Generation Cartel is the only Mexican cartel that uses New York City as a major hub. Comments are open to Gazette subscribers only. He had previously changed his profile image to the logo of the criminal organization's special forces 35th battalion. 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. 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. 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. (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. 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 bullet-hole riddled roof of a church, the site of a bloody cartel battle in El Limoncito. Here are our rankings using DEA's data: Los Zetas Cartel is the only Mexican cartel that uses New Orleans as a major hub. On Sept. 20, the indictment says, Rivera-Beltran called Escamilla, who said he had about $170,000, and told Escamilla to bring $120,000 and leave $50,000. 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. 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. 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. A video showed a Mexican cartel lining up. It has concentrated in some areas of California, appeared in South Florida and the Pacific Northwest, and set up outposts on the East Coast. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, Happy Halloween, Borderland Beat. 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. The state of Colorado was the first to officially legalize marijuana and to offer recreational marijuana in 2014. . "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.". Claims of jury misconduct arose after a juror told VICE News in February 2019 report that several jurors followed media accounts of the three month-long trial. At least 10 different "target telephones" were monitored over the course of the investigation, according to the indictment. Click to skip ahead and see the list of top 5 cities that are crowded by Mexican drug cartels. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Rivera-Beltran then said that some of the money was his and told Beltran-Beltran to get a new phone number, the indictment says. A 2020 report prepared by the Congressional Research Service says the cartel originated in western. But the general consensus is that the Mexican cartels will not quietly relinquish the Denver market. 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. On the eve of the Super Bowlwhere the Mexican avocado producers again ran their ad as they have for the past decade . Morning Forecast The Sinaloa cartel is the oldest cartel. Sinaloa Cartel - InSight Crime 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Mexico's Agriculture Ministry said U.S. health . Through these calls, the agents determined Tarango-Rodriguez was Padilla-Romo's source of drugs, according to the indictment. Gulf Cartel is the 5th most influential Mexican drug cartel in the U.S.. Gulf Cartel is also the only Mexican cartel that uses Houston as a major hub. Gustavo Prez died after he was shot two times on the side and on the right forearm. A Mexican intelligence report alleges that he was linked to the Northeast Cartel's special forces 35th battalion, Alejandro Trujillo was one of five men who were shot dead by soldiers in Nuevo Laredo, Mexican. 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 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. "Legal businesses will likely see a rise in extortion attempts while law enforcement will see a lot of backdoor deals being made.". (File, courtesy of KKTV). 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. The gangs appear to be targeting stores, vehicles and bystanders in response to disputes or attempts to capture gang members. Of the 17 defendants, 11 are from Mexico, four from El Salvador, and two are from California. No arrests have been made, but a cashier told The Gazette that all employees in the restaurant that night then returned to Mexico. The Sinaloa Cartel Is Controlling Water in Drought-Stricken Mexico 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). 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. 'The Sinaloa and Juarez cartels are active from the Starbucks locales there in Boulder!' RELATED: DEA warns of increase in fake prescription pills containing fentanyl, meth. The five men were shot and killed when Surez, a resident from San Antonio, Texas, refused orders to pull over. A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging 17 defendants for drug trafficking in direct connection with a Mexican drug cartel. We ranked each city by the number of different Mexican cartels that use as a distribution hub. A sixth. 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. The same drug cartels causing chaos on the U.S./Mexico border are also active in Colorado. A wiretap order was also signed for Zytacua's phone number, the indictment says. It alleges that El Potosino was a front company used to funnel drug money through Mexican restaurants in Colorado and Wyoming. 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 . Every halcone is calling his boss with your every move. 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. On Sept. 23, the indictment says Rivera-Beltran called asking Guadalupe Ortiz to bring his birth certificate and some money from Colorado to Arizona, and Guadalupe Ortiz said he would fly down. The violent and powerful Sinaloa cartel forced the Mexican authorities to surrender and hand over El Chapo's son Ovidio Guzman. The indictment said Ortiz was heard in the background of the calls talking to Rivera-Beltran. Also in June, Tarango-Rodriguez continued to make calls on a third phone number that was being monitored by agents, and the indictment says he told a user he was going to sell 500,000 "small blue ones," which investigators believed to be 30-milligram fentanyl pills, in Kansas.