Five minutes later, the indictment says, Trevizo called Tarango-Rodriguez and told him he had arrived. 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. In 2001, he spent $2.5 million in bribes to escape the maximum-security Puente Grande prison in Jalisco, Mexico, in a laundry cart. DENVER (AP) - The U.S. Department of Justice says two Mexican cartels are active in five Colorado cities. The Sinaloa cartel is the oldest cartel. Copyright 2020 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. The trooper discovered $69,050 wrapped in cellophane and $152,082 in two shoe boxes, and agents believe the first amount was the money sent by Antonio Ortiz and the second amount was money intended for River-Beltran, according to the indictment. 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. 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. 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. Zambada now is assumed to head the Sinoloa Cartel. In addition to the 6.57 kilograms of cocaine packed for distribution, the indictment says officers also found $7,117 in the glovebox. Mexican Cartel Violence | Fox News She wants you to know he's more than a number. Executions, not just of petty dealers but of prominent business executives, livestock farmers and peasant leaders. But the general consensus is that the Mexican cartels will not quietly relinquish the Denver market. It is the 4th most powerful Mexican drug cartel operating in the United States. He notified her Saturday evening that his girlfriend was expecting the couple's first child and shared the positive pregnancy test via a text message. However, no firearms were recovered from their pickup truck. Richard Nixon. 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. In a conversation with Beltran-Beltran later that day, Rivera-Beltran said that things were bad and the police had gotten Jorge Escamilla and his brother Antonio Lorenzo Escamilla on their way to Arizona, according to the indictment. Can we get the government now to give the Pentagon another trillion trillion $$$$$$$$$$$$????? Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Contact the writer at 719-636-0362 or find her on Twitter: @njKaitlinDurbin. Of the 17 defendants, 11 are from Mexico, four from El Salvador, and two are from California. A short time later, the indictment says Austin Peterson and Anita Bateman arrived in a vehicle used to transport cocaine to Denver. Mexico's Long War: Drugs, Crime, and the Cartels - Council on Foreign 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 team collected roughly 800 pounds. A seventh restaurant with ties to Colorado Springs also was named in the complaint. We are stronger than this crap. 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. Crime scene photo at Taco Star. 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. A video showed a Mexican cartel lining up. 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. 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. He then asked Maritza if she found the "water" in the air duct and the "work" hidden in a closet, and spoke about what authorities found and took, including the Corvette, the indictment says. A wiretap order was signed for Padilla-Romo's phone number in May, and agents learned that he was negotiating drug deals with multiple individuals including Luis "Chilo" Jacob Zytacua, who the indictment says also negotiated the purchase of guns. "We still don't know what the fall out will be but when there is this much money involved the potential is great for groups to want capitalize.". 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 coalition's members operate in concert to protect themselves, relying on connections at the highest levels and corrupting portions of the federal police . How the Avocado Became Key to Mexican Drug Cartel Turf War - Newsweek We try to spoil when we should understand we haven't spoiled so much, because they know we are working hard for them. POLL: How will the Rockies fare this season in the NL West? 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 21-year-old was driving the pickup truck that crashed into a parked car after he refused orders from the military to pull over. It has popped around the world, from Hong Kong to Australia and Argentina to Europe. "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. Map shows drug smuggling routes into Texas used by cartels - mySA You can review our Community Guidelines by clicking here. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. 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. Sinaloa Cartel - InSight Crime Even back before the break of the war, US gov was warning against going there. Sinaloa cartel | History, Activities, Leaders, & Facts | Britannica The organization also predicted. The violent and powerful Sinaloa cartel forced the Mexican authorities to surrender and hand over El Chapo's son Ovidio Guzman. 'Yes, the Boulder area could be a giant cash cow for the Department of Homeland Security Cartel! A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging 17 defendants for drug trafficking in direct connection with a Mexican drug cartel. 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. 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. Kaitlin is a public safety reporter with a focus on investigations. Colorado Springs mayoral candidates address affordable homeownership. On July 20, the indictment says, Tarango-Rodriguez began discussing a drug deal with Martin Ivan Trevizo, and decided on a carport at 6600 Kearney Street as a meeting location. Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Community Guidelines | KRDO Jobs | FCC Applications |, KRDO FCC Public File | KRDO FCC Applications, Breaking News Happy Halloween, Borderland Beat. An intelligence report that was reviewed by TV Azteca claimed Mata had a criminal background record in San Antonio, Texas. 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. Foreign cartels embrace home-grown marijuana in pot-legal states - NBC News 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. The indictment contains 45 counts, including an asset forfeiture allegation against the stash houses that were used to hide the drugs. 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. You might want to lay off the coffee and keep an eye on the soapbox because you are tripping over it. A third victim, Alejandro Trujillo, died from being shot five times. Five pounds of heroin and four pounds of cocaine were also seized during the investigation, which began in 2018. The 18th Judicial District Attorney's Office said the following defendants will be prosecuted in Douglas County: RELATED: 2 Colorado nurses illegally took controlled substances at work, U.S. Attorney's Office says. Heroin is where their making money. The Defendants from El Salvador are Lara Zamora-Cruz, age unknown; Claudia Lisseth-Lara, 41, (naturalized); Vilma L. Zamora, 67; and Jose Chica-Orellana, age unknown. drug cartel, an illicit consortium of independent organizations formed to limit competition and control the production and distribution of illegal drugs. WASHINGTON Two sons of notorious drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman have been indicted on drug conspiracy charges, the Justice Department s. Were concerned with the public consumption right now, Jackson said. . Rivera Beltran said he would pay $500 to the person and get him a plane ticket, the indictment says. The Sinaloa cartel is the oldest cartel currently operating in Mexico, and it controls significant chunks of that country, particularly on the Pacific coast. It's important to note that the Sinaloa cartel doesn't function quite like a traditional, hierarchical cartel. The identity of that cartel is not being released as it remains the subject of an ongoing criminal investigation.. 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. Legal Statement. The indictment says Escamilla called Antonio Ortiz and told him "everything went to hell and that the police got them." The Vigilance Project - Mexican Cartels and Drug Trafficking Training On, Oct. 29, the indictment says Rivera-Beltran called Rodriguez and asked him to fly to Phoenix and drive the pills to Denver, and GPS pings show he flew from Denver to Phoenix that night. Daily Briefing Boulder isn't where the cartels are supplying anyway idiots. 13 US Cities That Are Crowded By Mexican Drug Cartels - Yahoo! 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. CJNG continues to be the Mexican TCO with second-most widespread national influence. The same drug cartels causing chaos on the U.S./Mexico border are also active in Colorado. They set up a perimeter around the area and insisted those inside turn themselves in. Synthetic drugs such as meth and fentanyl have fundamentally changed the illicit drug market. Is comparing Colorado Springs' and Denver's homeless populations fair or unfair? I want to congratulate the outstanding federal, state, and local law enforcement cooperation that resulted in this highly successful operation. Jalisco New Generation. Los Zetas Cartel is the least influential of the 6 Mexican cartels, but this doesn't mean that its members aren't dangerous people. Founded in the late 1980s, it was for many years headed by the notorious drug. 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 Sinaloa Cartel's criminal activity in the Ciudad Juarez and El Paso area included the violence that occurred during the war between the Juarez Cartel and the Sinaloa Cartel, which led to the death of thousands of people in Ciudad Juarez and throughout the Mexican states of Chihuahua and Durango. 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. Authorities claimed that Surez was operating a Chevrolet Silverado that had been reported stolen. Specifically, the indictment says Zytacua had calls with users about the cost of 30 milligram pills, which agents believed to be fake fentanyl pills masked as M30 oxycodone pills. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, The WORST care homes in England: Interactive map reveals the lowest-rated 2,530 residences - so is An intelligence report obtained by TV Azteca indicated that Wilberto Mata, one of the five young men killed by soldier in the northern border city of Nuevo Laredo, was an alleged member of the Cartel del Noreste ( Northeast Cartel), Gustavo Surez, an American from San Antonio, Texas, was a purported member of the Northeast Cartel, according to a Mexican intelligence report. Mexico deploys soldiers & heavy armour to fight Sinaloa Cartel as 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. More information about the case was not available on Wednesday, as some of the court documents remained sealed. 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'. plus 'Those cities are Denver, Boulder, Colorado Springs, Grand Junction, and Longmont. El Chapo cartel facing Mexican special forces after son freed amid "And that's extremely scary.". Mexican drug cartels control vast swaths of the US drug market, but that influence remains heavily slanted in favor of the vaunted Sinaloa cartel. Mothers, grab your sons and hold them tightly. But, according to the most recent report from the US Drug Enforcement Administration, the Sinaloa cartel and traffickers affiliated with it still control the lion's share of the US market for illegal narcotics. We are pleased to provide the experience and expertise of Victor Manual Galarza Abizaid, considered a subject matter expert by the 22nd and 13th Judicial Districts in the State of Colorado in criminal interdiction, narcotics, narcotics investigations and the Mexican Cartels.Victor has been in active service as a Law Enforcement officer since 2011. The rest of the funds were smuggled back in secret vehicle compartments. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Guzmn is a known escape artist as well. 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. Mexican drug cartels also convert wealthy Chinese nationals' Renminbi (RMB) to US dollars at a lower rate than the prevailing market rate. Feds: 30 indicted in cartel-connected drug trafficking group - KMGH The queens of the Mexican drug cartels are fond of tight jeans, red lipstick and stilettos. Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) is the youngest of the top 6 Mexican drug cartels. Authorities believe a woman accessing the safe-deposit boxes faked pregnancies to make deposits, carrying the cash inside of a false belly.. 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. 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. Trevizo and Tarango-Rodriguez then drove separately to a residence at 6841 Locust St. 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. "This group I put together is designed specifically to protect product, people, and money. "Mexico is already in Colorado without the risks," the agent, who requested anonymity, said of the state's heavy pre-existing cartel presence. In tourist destinations such as Puerto Vallarta, CJNG has become heavily engaged in timeshare fraud, which often targets U.S. citizens. It is also the most significant drug trafficking organization in the United States. Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. We ranked each city by the number of different Mexican cartels that use as a distribution hub. The Sinaloa Cartel Is Controlling Water in Drought-Stricken Mexico Mexican drug cartels are getting into the avocado and lime business A sixth shooting victim, who was wounded and is fighting for his life at a local hospital, also belongs to the same criminal organization. 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. Mexico's Agriculture Ministry said U.S. health . Castillo said Surez lived with her and that he worked in the construction business with his stepfather. (YouTube) Mexican authorities believe a body found wrapped in plastic and left . The U.S. has suspended imports of Mexican avocadosas the lucrative fruit continues to play a key role in the turf wars between drug cartels. Mexican cities have seen widespread arson and shootings by drug cartels. FILE - In this Jan. 8, 2016 file photo, a handcuffed Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman is made to face the press as he is escorted to a helicopter by Mexican soldiers and marines at a federal hangar in Mexico City. 'My son was a good person and he didn't deserve the way they killed him,' she said. The cartels and the drug trade fuel rampant corruption and. I have a fleet of submarines, airplanes, trucks and boats.. FILE - In this Feb. 10, 2020 file photo, a policeman drives past town hall in Apaseo El Alto, Guanajuato state, Mexico. DENVER Details of an eight-month investigation into a Colorado-based drug trafficking organization with links to a Mexican cartel have been released in a grand jury indictment. DENVER Twenty-one people have been charged in Colorado for their alleged involvement in a drug trafficking ring linked to a Mexican cartel, according to law enforcement officials. "Mexican drug cartels in Boulder (Nanooo Nanooo), NORAD Central/ Air Force Academy and Dullsville-Pueblo, too. He revealed that the soldiers forced him into making a video statement in which he claimed the group was responsible for the incident in exchange for sparing his life. 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. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 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. The Sinaloa Cartel, a Mexican drug gang with one of the largest U.S. footprints - including just about everything east of the Mississippi -- of all the cartels. Boogie! 17 Alleged Mexican Cartel Operatives Charged in Colorado - Breitbart Twenty-five people have been arrested on drug trafficking charges in the case and five others remain at-large, including four in Mexico. One of the five men killed by Mexican soldiers was a 'cartel member' Comments are open to Gazette subscribers only. In addition, two related defendants were identified and arrested after the indictment, the district attorney's office said. Drug seized by authorities in a years-long investigation. 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. Best Mexican Restaurants in Colorado Springs, El Paso County: Find Tripadvisor traveler reviews of Colorado Springs Mexican restaurants and search by price, location, and more. 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. DENVER Details of an eight-month investigation into a Colorado-based drug trafficking organization with links to a Mexican cartel have been released in a grand jury indictment. The latest breaking news, delivered straight to your email! Albertacos did close briefly after funds were seized, but it has reopened. Since the 1980s, they have dominated the international narcotics trade. The Sinaloa Cartel, Everything About It - February 2023 - thedruglords 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 legal marijuana industry could be the fastest growing sector of the. Investigators believed the group was connected to a Mexican cartel, a criminal complaint said. The Portland-based drug network, which stretched into affluent area suburbs, westbound to Oregon's quaint coastal cities and north into southwestern Washington, is emblematic of a key Mexican. It's Denver and the suburbs, Greeley with all the cholos, Longmont and Colorado Springs then it makes it's way to College students thru networks. The five men were shot and killed when Surez, a resident from San Antonio, Texas, refused orders to pull over. Fountain woman to get no jail time for sexually assaulting 13-year-old, mother unhappy with plea deal. In addition to more than 110,000 fentanyl-laced counterfeit pills, the DEA said it seized numerous other drugs and weapons. Most notably, the Juarez cartel has reportedly seen its dominance in most of New Mexico eroded by the Sinaloa cartel. 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. At least 10 different "target telephones" were monitored over the course of the investigation, according to the indictment. Jackson said he would not speculate as to if or which cartels may decide to infiltrate the legitimate businesses or how. The U.S. Attorney's Office in Denver is prosecuting the case. 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. Treasury sanctions eight Mexican. During the call, the indictment says, Rivera-Beltran mentioned being "hot" and that "they were going to do better," and that three loads had been taken by law enforcement. The gangs appear to be targeting stores, vehicles and bystanders in response to disputes or attempts to capture gang members. 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. Our children stronger than we give them credit. These cartels primarily employ Mexican nationals to oversee their distribution operations in the United States. A third photograph showed Mata smiling and flashing a thumbs up inside a jail cell. Here are our rankings using DEA's data: Los Zetas Cartel is the only Mexican cartel that uses New Orleans as a major hub. 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. Rivera-Beltran specifically mentioned that a load of drugs agents believed to be cocaine that was arriving the first week of September, lamented that one of his loads had been taken, and offered the informant "1,000 almonds" which investigators believed to be fentanyl pills, according to the indictment. 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). There are at least 13 U.S. cities that are used as distribution hubs by the Mexican drug cartels. Agents discovered several calls between Padilla-Romo and Tarango-Rodriguez where they spoke about prices for pounds of "work," which investigators believed to be meth, according to the indictment. 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. How Mexico's Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generacin rules - Brookings 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. 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. Agents followed the truck onto I-70 and stopped it outside of Glenwood Springs, according to the indictment. On Aug. 31, the indictment says, the same confidential informant called Rivera-Beltran again. Rivera said Escamilla had left Colorado to deliver the $170,000, which agents knew to be a lie because Escamilla's GPS pings were still in Colorado, the indictment says. The vehicles driven by Trevizo and Peterson pulled into the carport. NOBODY IN THE SURROUNDING DENVER AREA WANTS THAT SHIT NEITHER!!! Vallejo-Gallo, a Mexican national, faces 20 years to life in prison. In 2017, 16-year-old Nathaniel Czajkowski was shot to death in Albertacos while eating with three friends, two of whom also were shot.