Tag Archives: drug trafficking

Texas Resident Sentenced for Smuggling Cocaine

February 20, 2013blogarrest, CBP, cocaine, drug smuggling, drug trade, drug trafficking, HSI, ICEAlex Meyerovich

A local woman was sentenced Monday, February 11, 2013, to five years in federal prison for importing more than five kilograms of cocaine.

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with the assistance of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

Laurie Molina, 53, appeared before U.S. District Judge Alia Moses who sentenced her to serve 60 months in federal prison, and a five-year term of supervised release. Molina pleaded guilty to the charges June 18, 2012.

According to court documents, on May 10, 2012, Molina was entering the United States from Mexico through the Amistad Port of Entry in Del Rio when CBP directed her to a secondary inspection of her vehicle. During that inspection, CBP discovered more than five kilograms of cocaine hidden in the car battery. She was arrested and taken into custody following the inspection.

She remains in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

This case was prosecuted by the Western District of Texas.

Guatemalan National Extradited to Florida to Face Drug Smuggling Charges

February 15, 2013blogarrest, Coast Guard, cocaine, criminal alien, DEA, drug smuggling, drug trade, drug trafficking, extradition, FBI, Guatemala, HSI, ICE, indictment, Panama Express Strike ForceAlex Meyerovich

A Guatemalan drug smuggler was extradited to Tampa Friday, February 8, 2013, following an investigation by the Panama Express Strike Force, a task force that targets maritime smuggling. The strike force consists of several federal agencies, including: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); the Drug Enforcement Administration; the FBI; the United States Coast Guard Investigative Service; the Joint Interagency Task Force – South; and, the United States Marshals Service. The Guatemala government and Guatemalan law enforcement agencies also assisted with the investigation.

Alma Lucrecia Hernandez-Preciado, aka “La Tia,” 40, of Tecun Uman,Guatemala, was indicted in the Middle District of Florida Sept. 22, 2011, for violating the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act.

According to the indictment, Hernandez-Preciado helped organize the maritime smuggling of cocaine shipments into the United States. She was allegedly involved in a May 2011 drug smuggling venture where the crew of a go-fast boat was interdicted by the U.S. Coast Guard off the coast of Guatemala, and law enforcement authorities seized 347 kilograms of cocaine. Hernandez-Preciado is charged with participating in a conspiracy with others to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. She is also charged with helping others distribute five or more kilograms of cocaine.

Hernandez-Preciado was arrested in Guatemala Oct. 10, 2011. If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison.

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of the federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

Nicaraguan National Sentenced for Drug Trafficking and Firearms Conspiracy

February 5, 2013blogarrest, cocaine, DEA, drug smuggling, drug trafficking, HSI, ICE, illegal firearms, narcotics smuggling, Nicaragua, Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, weapons traffickingAlex Meyerovich

A Nicaraguan man was sentenced Thursday, January 31, 2013, to 19 years and seven months in prison on drug trafficking conspiracy charges and 15 years in prison for his participation in a conspiracy to provide weapons to a designated terrorist organization. The sentences resulted from an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Drug Enforcement Administration and an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force.

During the conspiracy, Franklin William McField-Bent, aka “Buda,” 55, had numerous meetings and phone calls with undercover Colombian law enforcement officers who claimed to be members of a foreign terrorist organization. McField-Bent tried to help them obtain weapons, which he believed would be used in attacks on the Colombian government. In March 2010, McField-Bent arranged the sale of six grenade launchers, 20 grenades, an Uzi submachine gun and 100 rounds of ammunition to the undercover officers. He also admitted to participating in three shipments of cocaine originating in Central America, all while knowing they were destined for the United States. Each shipment consisted of hundreds of kilograms of the drug.

“The arrest, conviction and subsequent sentencing of McField-Bent is an important accomplishment for theU.S.government and its international partners due to the magnitude of his criminal violations and the threat to the homeland,” said Alysa D. Erichs, special agent in charge of HSI Miami. “We will continue to work with our domestic and international law enforcement partners to identify and dismantle drug and weapons trafficking organizations.”

Organized crime drug enforcement task forces identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, as well as those organizations responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.

California Man Convicted for Smuggling Heroin in Tortilla Press

January 29, 2013blogarrest, CBP, charges, conviction, drug smuggling, drug trade, drug trafficking, heroin, HSI, ICE, Mexico, narcoticsAlex Meyerovich

A Bay Area man faces at least 10 years in prison after being found guilty Tuesday, January 22, 2013, by a federal jury on charges stemming from his involvement in a scheme to import heroin into the United States from Mexico.

Mike Gama, 23, of Mountain View, was convicted of both possession with intent to distribute a kilogram or more of heroin and importation of a kilogram or more of heroin. The charges are the result of an 18-month probe by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

The jury found that Gama had knowingly participated in a scheme to import heroin into the U.S. when he accepted delivery of a package containing more than a kilogram of heroin concealed inside a wooden tortilla press. The guilty verdict followed a weeklong jury trial.

Evidence presented during the trial showed that on June 20, 2011, Gama received a package shipped from Michoacan, Mexico, via DHL Express. Inside the package, which was addressed to Gama, was a wooden tortilla press containing more than one kilogram of a black tar-like substance. Subsequent lab tests confirmed the substance was Mexican black tar heroin. After Gama signed for the package, HSI special agents executed a search warrant to recover the parcel containing the heroin.

The package was initially intercepted by CBP officers inspecting arriving international shipments at DHL’s hub in Cincinnati, Ohio. CBP alerted HSI special agents inSan Jose, who then made preparations to seize the parcel when it arrived in California.

Following the guilty verdict, Gama, who had been free on bond, was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. His sentencing is scheduled for April 15 before U.S. District Court Judge Edward J. Davila in San Jose. The maximum statutory penalty for each of the two counts is life in prison and a fine of up to $10 million, with a mandatory minimum term of 10 years in prison.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gary G. Fry and Amie D. Rooney, with further support provided by Tracey Andersen and Laurie Worthen.

U.S. Citizen Residing in Mexico Convicted for Smuggling Methamphetamine

January 23, 2013blogarrest, conviction, drug smuggling, drug trade, drug trafficking, HSI, ICE, methamphetamine, Mexico, sentencingAlex Meyerovich

A federal jury on Friday, January 18, 2013, convicted a woman, a U.S. citizen who resided in Reynosa,Mexico, on one count of possessing with intent to distribute more than 10 kilograms (22 pounds) of methamphetamine, announced U.S Attorney Kenneth Magidson, Southern District of Texas.

This conviction resulted from an investigation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Jennifer Ellen Marie Rodriguez, 31, was convicted by a jury following a three day trial. During the trial, the government presented testimony that Rodriguez was pulled over June 23, 2012, by a Texas Department of Public Safety trooper near Encino. During that traffic stop, Rodriguez claimed to be traveling to San Antonio to attend her grandfather’s funeral. Rodriguez did not know the name or location of the funeral home and did not have appropriate attire expected for such an event.

Rodriguez provided consent to search her vehicle and was arrested after the methamphetamine was discovered hidden in a void behind the vehicle’s dashboard. The government also provided evidence that Rodriguez’s grandfather was a lifelong resident of Michigan and had passed away in 2011.

Rodriguez admitted at trial that she made up the story about the funeral. She testified she did not know the drugs were hidden in her vehicle, but was driving to San Antonio to exchange the vehicle for her kidnapped cousin. Rodriguez claimed that on the previous day, her cousin was kidnapped in Mexico and kidnappers demanded she deliver the vehicle to San Antonio in exchange for her cousin.

The government countered with evidence demonstrating that Rodriguez never told this story to law enforcement at the time of her arrest. In fact, the government proved that Rodriguez had only made the claim just a few days before trial began.

Rodriguez is scheduled to be sentenced April 24, at which time she faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life imprisonment, as well as a possible $10 million fine. Rodriguez will remain in custody pending that hearing.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Chad W. Cowan, Southern District of Texas, prosecuted the case.

20 Indicted for Marijuana Trafficking Ring

January 22, 2013blogarrest, ATF, DEA, drug trafficking, HIDTA, HSI, ICE, indictment, IRS, IRS-CI, marijuana, narcotics, OCDETF, Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task ForceAlex Meyerovich

A federal indictment, returned by a grand jury December 2012, was unsealed Friday, January 18, 2013, charging 20 Dallas-Fort Worth area residents with conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 100 kilograms or more of marijuana.

More than half of the defendants are in custody, following an operation this week conducted by the following law enforcement agencies: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI); the Dallas High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA); the Desoto, Dallas, Balch Springs, Arlington and Midlothian police departments; Dallas County Sheriff’s Office; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); and the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office.

This announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldaña of the Northern District of Texas.

During the course of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation, law enforcement executed federal and state search warrants that resulted in the seizure of about 25 pounds of hydroponic marijuana, more than 600 marijuana plants, 10 vehicles and five firearms.

The indictment charges the below-named defendants in the drug conspiracy:

Sylvespa Eugene Adams, aka “Sylvesta Adams,” “Pa,” and “Paw,” 25,
Alma Diane Smith, aka “Diane Williams,” 30,
Michael Wayne-Cortez Ayers, aka “Big Mike,” 33,
Isaac Demon Mathis, aka “Ike” “Issac Damone Mathis,” 30,
David Laploise Jones, aka “Nino,” 31,
Kory Lamonte Crayton, aka “Mokmu Tave” and “Coon,” 39,
Taurus Kion Silmom, aka “T.K.,” 30,
Nathan Dewayne Brown, 21,
Connell Heads, 50,
Marvin Jamel Fantroy, aka “Seven,” 32,
Lamondrius Denard Kidd, 28,
Modrick Jamal Spencer, 28,
Waymon Madison, 39,
Edward Lee Witherspoon, 50,
Robin James Criss, aka “June Bug,” 30,
Andre Demacus Reid, aka “Black,” 27,
Rachael O’Neal, 20,
Natasha Brown, 34,
Jovanna Renee Bonner, 19, and
Precious Starr Lecreas Gowans, 30.

Defendants Sylvespa Eugene Adams and Alma Diane Smith are also charged with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. The indictment alleges that since January 2010, Adams and Smith conspired together, and with others, to conduct financial transactions involving the proceeds of their crime that were designed to conceal and disguise the nature, location, source or ownership of the proceeds. The indictment alleges the following:

they stored and concealed drug proceeds,
caused cash to be transported as payment for drugs,
disposed of proceeds derived from the distribution and sale of narcotics by purchasing assets to conceal and disguise the nature and source of the proceeds,
structured deposits of U.S. currency, and
used a business front to create the appearance of a legitimate of source of funds to hide the true nature and source of the funds.

A federal indictment is an accusation by a grand jury; a defendant is entitled to the presumption of innocence unless proven guilty. If convicted, however, the conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute marijuana count carries a statutory sentence of at least five years and up to 40 years in federal prison and a $5 million fine. The conspiracy to commit money laundering count, upon conviction, carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and a $500,000 fine.

In addition, the indictment includes a forfeiture allegation, which would require convicted defendants to forfeit the proceeds of their criminal activity. It would also require some of the defendants, upon conviction, to forfeit numerous vehicles, including a Mercedes, a Porsche and a Bentley, as well as numerous pieces of real estate.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Phelesa Guy, Northern District of Texas, is in charge of the prosecution.

36 Indicted for Drug Trafficking, Gang Involvement

January 16, 2013blogarrest, drug trade, drug trafficking, gang, gang activity, heroin, HSI, ICE, indictment, New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice Gangs & Organized Crime Bureau, Operation Billboard, organized crimeAlex Meyerovich

Thirty-six individuals – including two top leaders and six upper-level managers – have been indicted as alleged participants in a major narcotics network with ties to the Ñetas street gang. The charges stem from an investigation by the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice Gangs & Organized Crime Bureau, working collaboratively with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

The indictment stems from Operation Billboard, an investigation which revealed the dealing of large quantities of heroin in Camden, N.J.

Most of the defendants were arrested May 30, 2012, when law enforcement took down this criminal organization. The indictment was returned Jan. 9, 2013, but sealed until Friday, January 11, 2013, pending efforts to arrest additional defendants.

The alleged senior leaders of the narcotics network include Noel Gonzalez, aka “Noel Ripoll,” 43, of Camden, a reputed member of the Ñetas; and his alleged partner Michael Rivera, aka “Bute,” 29, of Camden. Both are charged with leading a narcotics trafficking network, which carries a possible sentence of life in prison.

The investigation has revealed that Gonzalez and Rivera ran a large-scale drug distribution network that was dealing up to tens of thousands of dollars in heroin per week. In addition to Gonzalez and Rivera, the leadership of the network includes other members of the Ñetas and Latin Kings street gangs. The network allegedly possessed guns and employed violence to protect its territory.

The 39-count indictment charges all 36 defendants with first-degree racketeering and second-degree conspiracy. The racketeering charge carries a sentence of 10 to 20 years in prison.

Twenty-five defendants are charged with first-degree distribution of narcotics and/or first-degree possession of narcotics with the intent to distribute. They face 10 to 20 years in prison on those charges.

Rivera is also charged with possession of a handgun as a convicted felon, which carries a mandatory sentence of five years in prison. Many defendants also face various other drug charges.

“The assault on our communities by criminal drug trafficking organizations must end,” said Andrew McLees, special agent in charge of HSI Newark. “HSI and our law enforcement partners will continue to use our collective resources to bring these individuals to justice.”

“We sent investigators into the area surrounding 4th and Royden Streets because it has been a hotbed of violence, including daytime shootings,” said New Jersey Attorney General Jeffrey S. Chiesa. “By identifying this large, well-organized criminal enterprise and targeting the organization from top to bottom with a first-degree racketeering indictment, we’re taking strong aim at the drug dealing that is fueling violence and destroying the lives of residents in this section of Camden. These defendants will face lengthy prison sentences without parole if convicted of the charges against them.”

“This indictment is a testament to the strong working relationships we have forged with the Camden Police Department, the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office and our other law enforcement partners to aggressively investigate drug and weapons trafficking in the city,” said Director Stephen J. Taylor, New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice. “With these proactive investigations, we seek to have a larger impact in critical sectors of Camden, in order to assist local and county law enforcement in their day-to-day efforts to prevent violence and solve crimes.”

A number of the defendants have been charged in the past with violent crimes or weapons offenses. It is alleged that the narcotics network led by Gonzalez and Rivera supplied and controlled at least four open-air drug “sets” dealing heroin.

The network also allegedly conducted drug deals at numerous locations in the surrounding area. The network allegedly sold heroin stamped with brand names that included “A+,” “Major League,” “Hot Party,” “El Tiger” and “Ice Cream.”

The network had a hierarchy with well-defined roles, including “case workers,” “set managers” and “trappers.” Case workers, also called “runners,” served as upper-level managers, coordinating the enterprise’s drug sales while on duty. They were responsible for handing out bundles of heroin to the lower-level set managers and trappers, and returning proceeds from the drug sales to Gonzalez and Rivera. They provided a layer of insulation for the leaders, working near but not at the set locations where street-level transactions were conducted.

Other law enforcement agencies assisting in the investigation include: Camden Police Department, Camden County Prosecutor’s Office and New Jersey State Police. Assistance was also provided by the Audubon Police Department and the Haddon Township Police Department.

New York Native Sentenced for Drug Trafficking Ring, Surrenders Private Jet

January 15, 2013blogarrest, drug ring, drug trade, drug trafficking, guilty plea, HSI, ICE, marijuanaAlex Meyerovich

A New York man was sentenced Tuesday, January 8, 2013, to 31 months in federal prison on conspiracy charges related to the distribution and possession of marijuana. The sentence is the result of an investigation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

The court also required John Bokun, who was sentenced Tuesday, January 8, 2013, to surrender his Dassault-Breguet Falcon 10 jet aircraft and $7,101. Bokun pleaded guilty May 11, 2012, to the charges.

According to court documents, HSI special agents tracked Bokun traveling on his private jet from California to Republic Airport in East Farmingdale, N.Y. HSI special agents observed the aircraft Dec. 15, 2011, landing on Long Island and taxing towards an area dedicated to servicing private planes.

Once the aircraft arrived, HSI special agents observed Bokun, the plane’s pilot, and another man exit the jet to an awaiting U-Haul truck. HSI special agents, with assistance from the New York State Police, stopped the truck.

After obtaining a search warrant, HSI special agents discovered ten black containers carrying 112.4 kilograms of marijuana. HSI special agents then arrested Bokun and a co-conspirator.

The prosecution of this case was handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York.

HSI Target Operation Seizes 2,600 Pounds of Cocaine

January 8, 2013blogarrest, Caribbean Corridor Strike Force, CBP, CCSF, Coast Guard, cocaine, DEA, detention, dominican republic, drug smuggling, drug trade, drug trafficking, FBI, HSI, ICE, narcotics smuggling, Puerto Rico Police DepartmentAlex Meyerovich

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), working jointly with other members of the Caribbean Corridor Strike Force (CCSF), arrested two Dominican Republic nationals for drug trafficking and seized 2,600 pounds of cocaine with an estimated street value of more than $29 million Wednesday, January 2, 2013, off the eastern coast of Puerto Rico.

“In less than one week HSI and its partners in the Caribbean Corridor Strike Force have seized more than 2,800 pounds of cocaine,” said Angel Melendez, acting special agent in charge of HSI San Juan. “These seizures and related arrests are clear proof that HSI, along with our state and federal partners, is vigilant and will not tolerate the importation of illegal drugs into the United States through Puerto Rico.”

Earlier the week ending in Friday, January 4, 2013, a U.S. Coast Guard cutter intercepted a private vessel 43 nautical miles off of the island of Vieques, Puerto Rico, occupied by two Dominican Republic nationals and carrying 40 bales with approximately 2,600 pounds of cocaine. According to the criminal complaint, Jose De Leon and Wilson Concepción, both 40, knowingly and intentionally conspired to possess with the intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine on board a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. The District of Puerto Rico was the first point where the defendants entered the United States after the commission of the offense.

De Leon and Concepción were transferred to the Guaynabo Metropolitan Detention Center in Puerto Rico awaiting the outcome of their case.

CCSF is an initiative of the U.S. Attorney’s Office created to disrupt and dismantle major drug trafficking organizations operating in the Caribbean. CCSF is part of the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force that investigates South American-based drug trafficking organizations responsible for the movement of multi-kilogram quantities of narcotics using the Caribbean as a transshipment point for further distribution to the United States. The initiative is composed of HSI, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI, the Coast Guard, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Puerto Rico Police Department’s United Forces for Rapid Action.

ICE encourages the public to report suspected weapons and narcotics smuggling and related information by calling at 1-866-DHS-2ICE.

7 Alaskans Indicted for Drug Trafficking Ring that Resulted in Death

December 21, 2012blogAlaska, Anchorage, Anchorage Police Department, arrest, DEA, drug ring, drug trade, drug trafficking, HSI, ICE, indictment, narcotics, USPISAlex Meyerovich

Seven Anchorage-area residents were indicted Thursday, December 13, 2012, by a federal grand jury for operating a methylone production and distribution ring, which ended in the drug related death of a co-conspirator.

The case is being investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Anchorage Police Department, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Matanuska-Susitna Valley Narcotics Enforcement Team.

The 22-count indictment announced Monday, December 10, 2012, alleges that Robin Michael Gattis, 19, of Wasilla; Chad Cameron, 18, of Palmer; Stephen Kimbrell, 20, of Soldotna; Kevin Rupp, 21, of Anchorage; Shane O’Hare, 23, of Wasilla; Bren Marx, 20, of Palmer; and Haylee Hays, 19, of Anchorage, conspired to import methylone powder from China to Alaska and distributed it between September 2011 and July. Methylone, more commonly known as “M1,” is a stimulant chemically similar to MDNA or Ecstasy.

Gattis is charged with distributing methylone, resulting in the April death of a co-conspirator identified in the indictment only as “M.G.S.” Gattis is also charged with four counts of unlawfully importing methylone. Gattis, O’Hare and Rupp are charged with possession of methylone with intent to distribute, and Gattis, Rupp, Marx, Kimbrell and Cameron are charged with attempted possession of methylone with intent to distribute. Gattis, Cameron, Hays and Kimbrell are all charged with international money laundering, based on allegations that they wired money to China via Western Union to pay for methylone shipments. The indictment also alleges that Gattis used minors to wire money to China to buy methylone and asked friends and associates to allow him to use their addresses to receive shipments.

According to the indictment, following the death of M.G.S., Gattis emailed his Chinese supplier advising of the death and asking for a refund. However, less than a month later, Gattis resumed his orders from the same supplier.

Gattis faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment if convicted on the charge of distribution resulting in death, with a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years. Each of the other 21 remaining charges in the indictment carries a maximum sentence of 20 years of imprisonment. The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Alaska.