922(g)(1). "Distribution networks like this one are the arms of violent cartels, reaching out into our communities," Grossman said. There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. The FBIs Safe Streets Task Force received assistance during the investigation from the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department; U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the United States Marshals Service. Assistant U. S. Attorneys Matthew J. Sutton (619) 546-8941 and Adam Gordon (619) 546-6720. the announcement coincided with the unsealing of a federal grand jury indictment in san diego charging 17 foreign nationals with conspiring to violate the racketeer influenced and corrupt. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Maximum Penalties: For Felon in Possession of Firearm Charges: Ten years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. With the generous support of readers like you, Times of San Diego publishes timely and accurate news coverage for a better-informed community. Felon in Possession of a Firearm, in violation of Title 18, U.S.C., Secs. We'll send you the top local news stories every morning at 8 a.m. By clicking subscribe, you agree to share your email address with Times of San Diego to receive our free newsletter and breaking news alerts. According to the indictment returned on May 5 and unsealed today, from April to August 2020, lead defendants Timoteo Gomez, 48, of Riverside, and Javier Rodriguez, a.k.a. Grossman said law enforcement has seized more than 200 pounds of methamphetamine, 90 firearms and more than $200,000 during the investigation. 841(a)(1)). The war for Tijuana has grown into an intense three-way battle with the involvement of two remnant factions of the once-controlling Arellano Flix Organization one is aligned with the CJNG against Sinaloa and the other is hoping to subdue both major cartels. Authorities are continuing to search for six defendants. Authorities also seized methamphetamine, heroin and firearms as part of the investigation. FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitive Michael Pratt Captured in Spain. We are committed to dismantling violent gangs and holding their members accountable for criminal conduct., The FBI is proud to work alongside our local, state, and federal partners on the Violent Crimes Task Force to address the gang problem and rid our streets of the overflow of drugs and guns which continue to plague our communities, said FBI Special Agent in Charge Suzanne Turner. TTY: (619) 557-3450. Reporters Notebook: California border remains top fentanyl trafficking gateway into U.S. Judge sentences boat pilot to 18 years in prison for three smuggling deaths, Truth or a simple dream? The members of law enforcement at the news conference were flanked by two tables bristling with firearms of all types, as well as boxes at their feet bearing more weapons. Forms & InstructionsOverviewPOPULAR FORMS & INSTRUCTIONSForm 1040Individual Tax ReturnForm 1040 InstructionsInstructions for Form 1040Form W-9Request for Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) and CertificationForm 4506-TRequest for Transcript of Tax ReturnForm W-4Employee's Withholding CertificateForm 941Employer's Quarterly Federal Tax . The defendants largely hail from gangs operating in the South Bay. The Grand Jury investigates the operations of governmental programs of the County, cities and special districts. Learn more about how we use cookies in our cookie policy. Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine (Title 21, U.S.C., Sec. . An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. To protect their illegal operations, the defendants used encrypted communications services to communicate with each other. A locked padlock "The defendants in this case used cars and motorcycles with hidden compartments, they used trains, commercial airlines, the U.S. mail and commercial delivery services like FedEx and UPS to deliver their deadly methamphetamine. Herrera, known by the Spanish moniker El Caimn, which translates to The Alligator, was arrested in Mexico in 2019 with his former beauty-queen girlfriend aboard a bus in the city of Quertaro. The cartel was an early adopter of trafficking fentanyl into the U.S. as a cheaper, more reliable alternative to heroin and, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office, is also a prolific methamphetamine producer and chemical importer, using precursors procured from China and India.. 619-232-4311. All rights reserved, $51.3M Erased From Overdue SDG&E Bills. Many of the venues raided Wednesday were located inside small businesses or inside houses, apartments, and outbuildings in residential neighborhoods, predominantly in City Heights in the East San Diego area. The CJNG is considered the most dangerous, well-armed and fastest-growing cartel in Mexico. During this mornings takedown, 12 of the federal defendants were arrested. The investigation leading to these federal charges focused on the criminal activities of the Riverside-based Casa Blanca Rifa criminal street gang to combat drug trafficking and associated violence in Riverside and the surrounding community. Those arrested are slated to be arraigned in San Diego federal court Friday afternoon. For further information contact:Assistant U. S. Attorneys A. Dale Blankenship (619) 546-6705, Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF. Maximum Penalties: For Possession with Intent to Distribute and Distribution of Methamphetamine Charges: Forty years imprisonment with a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a $5 million fine. Have a question about Government Services? Nearly a dozen federal indictments were unsealed in San Diego Thursday charging 23 documented gang members and associates with trafficking drugs and firearms, with the defendants largely hailing from gangs operating in the South Bay region. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Prosecutors said many of the defendants are either members or associates of gangs -- many of which have "longstanding ties to the Mexican Mafia" -- operating out of National City, San Ysidro and other areas. This prosecution underscores that coordinated criminal activity will be met with a coordinated and focused law enforcement response by the U.S. Attorneys Office and our law enforcement partners at the federal, state, and local level. Mexican authorities have not released further details about the case, including why the teens might have been targeted. That is, until today.". 841(a)(1)). Secure .gov websites use HTTPSA lock ( The indictment details the conspirators efforts in April 2020 to smuggle 46.6 pounds (21.2 kilograms) of methamphetamine from Mexico across the U.S port of entry at Calexico and into Riverside County. 952 and 960; Maximum Penalties: For the drug charges: Life in prison with a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a $10 million fine. There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. "They're also supplying a deadly stream of methamphetamine and other deadly drugs. As a result of the collaboration of federal, state and local law enforcement officials, law-abiding citizens who live in these neighborhoods will be safer without these magnets for crime in their midst. Maximum Penalties: For Distribution of Methamphetamine Charges: Forty years imprisonment with a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a $5 million fine. As of today at 1 p.m., 17 of the 23 defendants are either in federal or state custody. The U.S. Attorney's office Grossman announced charges Tuesday afternoon against 60 alleged local members of a San Diego-based methamphetamine ring accused of working for a distribution network. The group is accused of dispatching large groups of armed killers to take over the region, including planning more than 150 murders in a roughly six-month period, most of them in Tijuana, according to a court-authorized interception of a group chat described in a recent court filing. Its rare to have a patron who does not use or sell methamphetamine inside these locations. California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, San Diego County District Attorneys Office. Four defendants are fugitives. However, surveillance, phone records, financial documents, undercover agents and wiretaps were utilized to track the defendants communications and locations, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office. 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SAN DIEGO Federal authorities unsealed indictments Thursday against 85 alleged members of East San Diego County drug distribution and money laundering networks linked to the Sinaloa Cartel, with more than half of the defendants currently in custody. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. Official websites use .gov Anti-aging serums in particular offer many benefits to aging and mature skin. Help us grow with a monthly contribution. A lock ( - A Jefferson City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing a firearm and methamphetamine to distribute. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. The indictments are part of a yearlong investigation involving wiretaps, undercover drug and gun purchases and "extensive surveillance," according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. In total, law enforcement seized more than 150 pounds (68 kilograms) of methamphetamine and $31,035 in cash during this investigation. Three men identified by authorities by first name only were arrested in Mexico in connection with the slayings about six weeks later. Nearly a dozen federal indictments were unsealed in San Diego Thursday charging 23 documented gang members and associates with trafficking drugs and firearms. Officials also announced seizures of more than 220 pounds of meth and other drugs, 90 firearms and more than $250,000 in cash. Criminal Records and Contact Info aggregated from real law enforcement agencies and government court houses. DEFENDANTS Case Number: 21CR1411-DMS, DEFENDANT Case Number: 21CR1412-DMS, DEFENDANTS Case Number: 21CR1413-DMS, DEFENDANTS Case Number: 21CR1414-DMS. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Juan Manuel Alvarez-Inzunza, 39, was indicted by a federal grand jury in 2015, and charged with conspiracy to launder monetary instruments and conspiracy to import and distribute cocaine and methamphetamine. Its rare to have a patron who does not use or sell methamphetamine inside these locations., We have taken down the illegal gambling dens, and we have lifted a weight off our neighborhoods, said Acting US Attorney Randy Grossman. The defendants are charged with conspiracy, operating illegal gambling businesses, maintaining drug involved premises, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, distribution of methamphetamine, importation of methamphetamine, felon in possession of firearm and felon in possession of ammunition. Your email address will not be published. Twelve were arrested this week, including nine this morning; the rest were already in custody. He was previously designated under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act for allegedly laundering money for top cartel leaders, including Joaquin "El Chapo'' Guzman Loera, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. MCC San Diego is a prison complex that contains An administrative security metropolitan correctional center. Maximum Penalties: For Distribution of Methamphetamine Charge: Forty years imprisonment with a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a $5 million fine. The governments case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Lock ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. Importation of Methamphetamine (Title 21, U.S.C., Secs. As of Thursday afternoon, 17 of the 23 defendants -- all identified as San Diego residents ranging in age from 23 to 60 -- were in federal or state custody, with a dozen of the defendants arrested this week. Official websites use .govA .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. The Task Force is a joint federal and state gang task force that includes the FBI; the Drug Enforcement Administration; IRS Criminal Investigation; the Riverside County Sheriffs Department; and the Riverside Police Department. 841(a)(1); Importation of Heroin, in violation of Title 21, U.S.C., Secs. Official websites use .gov If you want to make sure you have the necessary supplies on hand to treat a future breakout, acne patches are the answer. The fourth alleged leader, Israel Alejandro Vazquez-Vazquez, is charged separately in a March 2021 indictment. Other alleged members of the conspiracy would further distribute methamphetamine in the Inland Empire. If you sell drugs in San Diego, we will find you and prosecute you to the full extent of the law.. All rights reserved, Beaches Up and Down San Diego County Closed After Sewage Spills, Watch Live: Maya Millete Case Updates During Larry Millete's Hearing on Murder Charge, SUV Appears Split in Half After Oceanside Crash That Killed Mom, 6-Year-Old, Injured 4 Others, That's Where She Told Me That She Needs a Place to Live,' Maya Millete's Sister-in-Law Testifies. Lock Additional partner agencies participating in the takedown. Sutton said that the lead defendant in the case, Reyes Espinoza, was the one with the alleged ties to the Sinaloa Cartel and was the main supplier and served as a conduit, the main source of supply for the meth ring, responsible for importing hundreds of pounds of methamphetamine into San Diego every week. "Gangs, drugs and illegal firearms are infesting many of our neighborhoods and creating a violent culture that is unsafe for residents," Acting U.S. Attorney Randy S. Grossman said. Callery said that the targets of Operation Crystal Shield were purchasing over 100 pounds of meth a week, "which is an enormous amount for any city in the United States, Callery said. So far, 44 of the 60 defendants are already in state or federal custody, the prosecutor said. We have taken down the illegal gambling dens, and we have lifted a weight off our neighborhoods, said Acting U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman. As a result of the collaboration of federal, state, and local law enforcement officials, law-abiding citizens who live in these neighborhoods will be safer without these magnets for crime in their midst.. Name, email and comment will be stored in our database. U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of California, Forty-Seven Defendants Charged in Illegal Gambling and Drug Indictments, San Diego Resident Sentenced to 15 Years for His Role in Fatal Fentanyl Overdose, Defendant Sentenced to 10 Years in Case Featured on HBO Documentary The Crime of the Century, Mexican National Sentenced to 108 Months Following Record-Breaking Seizure of Fentanyl and Meth, Forty Seven Defendants Charged In Illegal Gambling and Drug Indictments. Harvey, 54, of Riverside, purchased methamphetamine from their suppliers in Mexico as well as Los Angeles and Riverside counties. In May 2020, another co-conspirator allegedly attempted to drive a load of 90.4 pounds (41 kilograms) of methamphetamine into the United States from Mexico through the San Ysidro port of entry. Maximum Penalties: Importation of Methamphetamine Charges: Forty years imprisonment with a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a $5 million fine. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS In all, 44 firearms, more than 12 pounds of methamphetamine, $263,000 in cash, and 640 gambling machines were seized during the two-year investigation. Many of the defendants are documented members or associates of violent South Bay street gangs operating out of National City, San Ysidro, and elsewhere. The 19-count indictment charges a total of 19 defendants with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum 10-year prison sentence and a statutory maximum penalty of life imprisonment. Here's How to Check Your Bill, Rainstorms Are Boosting San Diego's Water Supplies But It's Not Enough, Beaches Up and Down San Diego County Closed After Sewage Spills, Watch Live: Maya Millete Case Updates During Larry Millete's Hearing on Murder Charge, SUV Appears Split in Half After Oceanside Crash That Killed Mom, 6-Year-Old, Injured 4 Others, That's Where She Told Me That She Needs a Place to Live,' Maya Millete's Sister-in-Law Testifies. Casino.org is the worlds leading independent online gaming authority, providing trusted online casino The operation resulted in 35 arrests and charges against 47 people, according. But lawyers for the hospital say the medical records show he was unconscious. Authorities have also seized drugs, cash and guns in connection with the investigation. Those cases are pending prosecution in Mexico. Alexander Michael Randise, 29, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court last year to a fentanyl distribution charge, stemming from the December 2021 death of Tyber Joseph Lustig, U.S. District Court Judge Larry Burns ruled the 2021 law did not violate gun owners rights under the Second Amendment, Preliminary hearing of Larry Millete, who has pleaded not guilty to murdering his missing wife Maya Millete, could run two weeks or longer. 856(a)(1)), Distribution of Methamphetamine (Title 21, U.S.C., Sec. 12.23.2022. "Together, these cities account for about 75% of all methamphetamine traffic within the United States.". Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, U.S.C., Secs. 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2). The indictments are part of a yearlong investigation involving wiretaps, undercover drug and gun purchases and "extensive surveillance," according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. 371 Conspiracy), Illegal Gambling Business (Title 18, U.S.C., Sec. Numerous crimes have been linked to the illegal gambling operations, said SDPD Chief David Nisleit. A lock ( The U.S. Attorneys Office said 38 defendants remain outstanding as of Thursday afternoon. *The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty. They also seized methamphetamine, heroin and firearms as part of the investigation. Maximum Penalties: For the drug charges: Life in prison with a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a $10 million fine. The trio was tortured for about two hours before being killed, according to the Baja California Attorney Generals Office. Grossman described Operation Crystal Shielf as a "multi-jurisdictional investigation targeting a sophisticated San Diego-based network used by the Sinaloa Cartel to distribute methamphetamine throughout the United States and to smuggle drug proceeds back into Southern California.".
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