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Chicago Woman Arrested for Selling Fraudulent Identity Documents to Illegal Aliens
A woman was arrested Wednesday, February 13, 2013, on charges she allegedly sold fraudulent identity documents to illegal aliens. These charges resulted from an investigation conducted by U.S. Immigra
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Tag Archives: indictment

Guatemalan National Extradited to Florida to Face Drug Smuggling Charges

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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.

Operation Dark Night Charges 13 Additional Defendants for Sex Trafficking

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A superseding indictment, returned Thursday, February 7, 2013, in federal court, has added 13 more defendants for their roles in an alleged sex trafficking and prostitution ring operating in Mexico, Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas and elsewhere. In total, 25 defendants have now been charged in the superseding indictment, which follows the original 12-defendant indictment returned in January.

The federal charges follow a lengthy investigation dubbed “Operation Dark Night,” led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). In addition to the 12 arrests and nearly 20 search warrants executed in January, federal authorities rescued 11 women alleged to have been forced into prostitution. The investigation of this case remains ongoing.

United States Attorney Edward Tarver said, “The superseding indictment adds even more gruesome details to the allegations of an already reprehensible human trafficking ring operating within our very own communities. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners will not stop until all of those responsible are brought to justice.”

“The superseding indictment alleges that this sex trafficking ring was even more extensive and ruthless,” said Brock D. Nicholson, special agent in charge of HSI Atlanta. “Over a dozen new suspects, including ‘johns,’ have now been added. Of more concern are new allegations that members of this conspiracy arranged to hold some of their victims’ children hostage in Mexico to ensure their compliance as prostitutes in the United States. The investigation in Operation Dark Night will continue until we have rooted out all of the bad actors in this conspiracy and have brought them to justice.”

According to allegations in the superseding indictment, some of the defendants would entice women from Mexico and elsewhere to travel to the United States with false promises of the American dream. Once inside the United States, these women were allegedly threatened and forced to commit acts of prostitution at numerous locations in Savannah, Ga., and throughout the southeast. Women were alleged to have been forced to perform as many as 25 acts of prostitution a day.

Tarver stressed that an indictment is only an accusation and is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendants’ guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

HSI provides relief to victims of human trafficking by allowing for their continued presence in the United States during criminal proceedings. Victims may also qualify for a T-visa, which is issued to victims of human trafficking who have complied with reasonable requests for assistance in investigations and prosecutions. Anyone who suspects instances of human trafficking is encouraged to call the HSI tip line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or the Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888. Anonymous calls are welcome.

Operation Dark Night was led by HSI, with assistance from the FBI; the ATF; U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP); CBP Air and Marine Operations; Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS); IRS-Criminal Investigations; the Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department; the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office; the Garden City Police Department; and, the Chatham County Counter Narcotics Team.

20 Indicted for Marijuana Trafficking Ring

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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

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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.

Fugitive Utah Attorney Indicted for Alien Smuggling and Visa Fraud is Captured

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A Salt Lake City immigration attorney who fled following his 2009 indictment on alien smuggling and visa fraud charges is headed to back to Utah after being captured while attempting to re-enter the U.S. on Christmas Day, 2012, at the San Ysidro Port of Entry near San Diego.

James Hector Alcala, 44, fled the U.S. in December 2010 and a federal arrest warrant was issued after he violated conditions of his pre-trial release. Alcala made his initial appearance in federal court in San Diego Dec. 26, 2012. Alcala waived his right to a preliminary hearing scheduled for Tuesday, January 8, 2013, which now paves the way for his transfer to Utah in the coming weeks to face charges.

The case investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service; U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services; and the U.S. Department of Labor uncovered an alien smuggling ring, of which investigators believe Alcala and his law firm participated.

Alcala, the Alcala Law Firm, Westside Property Management, and seven other individuals are charged with conspiracy to commit alien smuggling and visa fraud; encouraging and inducing illegal aliens to come to, enter, or remain in theUnited States; and visa fraud. According to the federal indictment unsealed in July 2009, the defendants conspired to profit financially by assisting Utah employers in obtaining H-2B visas for their foreign national workers by fraudulently representing to the federal government that the foreign nationals were eligible for visas when, in fact, they were not.

Carlos Manuel Vorher, 46, of Tooele; Andres Lorenzo Acosta Parra, 34, of Salt Lake City; and Westside Property Management have since pleaded guilty to charges stemming from their involvement in the case. Sentencing hearings are pending.

Charges against two individuals named in the indictment, Daniel Trigo Villavicencio, 34, of Oremand Gustavo Ballesteros-Munoz, 49, of West Jordan, have been dismissed by federal prosecutors. A fugitive warrant remains in place for Carlos Enrique Gomez-Alvarez, 44, of Salt Lake City, who fled the country in 2009 after his arrest and initial appearance on the charges in New York.

The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah.

7 Alaskans Indicted for Drug Trafficking Ring that Resulted in Death

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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.

Mexican National Convicted for Drug Trafficking and Immigration Charges

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A federal grand jury Wednesday, December 12, 2012, returned a guilty verdict against a local resident on cocaine trafficking and immigration charges after a two day trial. The case was investigated by U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Godofredo Barraza-Flores, 32, and co-defendant Carlos Ramirez-Talamantes, 23, both Mexican nationals, were charged in July 2011 in a four-count indictment alleging a conspiracy to distribute cocaine and four cocaine-trafficking offenses. Ramirez-Talamantes was arrested July 22, 2011, and entered a guilty plea March 23.

Barraza-Flores has been in federal custody since his Aug. 30, 2011 arrest. On Sept. 5, 2012, Barraza-Flores was charged in a five-count superseding indictment with conspiracy to distribute cocaine, distributing cocaine and re-entry into the United States by a previously deported alien.

Barraza-Flores’ trial on the superseding indictment began Dec. 12. The evidence established that an undercover New Mexico State Police officer bought multi-ounce quantities of cocaine from Ramirez-Talamantes inAlbuquerqueon three occasions: (1) two ounces March 29, 2011, (2) three ounces April 6, 2011, and (3) five ounces May 3, 2011. Immediately before and after each of these three drug deals, surveillance officers observed Ramirez -Talamantes meet with Barraza-Flores.

When he was arrested May 17, 2011, Ramirez-Talamantes possessed nine ounces of cocaine that he intended to sell to the undercover officer, and which he said belonged to Barraza-Flores.

While Ramirez-Talamantes was being interviewed by officers, he received a telephone call from Barraza-Flores. The two talked about how Ramirez-Talamantes would deliver the money from the nine ounce cocaine deal to Barraza-Flores. Shortly thereafter, another man met with Ramirez-Talamantes at the location agreed upon by Barraza-Flores and Ramirez-Talamantes. When questioned by officers, the man said that Barraza-Flores had instructed him to collect a quantity of money from Ramirez-Talamantes.

The jury also learned that Barraza-Flores previously had been deported in February 2006, and had illegally re-entered the United States without obtaining authorization, which is a felony.

The jury deliberated about two and a half hours before returning a guilty verdict on all five counts of the superseding indictment.

Barraza-Flores remains in federal custody pending his sentencing hearing, which has not been scheduled. At sentencing, Barraza-Flores faces up to 20 years of imprisonment and a $1 million fine. He will be turned over to ICE and will be placed in removal proceedings after he completes his prison sentence.

On Aug. 16, 2012, Ramirez-Talamantes was sentenced to a 37-month term of imprisonment. He also will be deported after he completes his prison sentence.

The New Mexico State Police, the Region III Narcotics Task Force, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection also participated in the investigation.

Restaurant Owners Indicted for Illegal Alien Harboring and Mail Fraud

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Husband and wife restaurant owners were charged with harboring illegal aliens and mail fraud in an indictment that was unsealed Thursday, November 29, 2012, in the Northern District of Indiana. The charges resulted from an investigation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), IRS’s-Criminal Investigation Division, U.S. Department of Labor-Office of the Inspector General, Social Security Administration-Office of the Inspector General, and the Indiana Department of Workforce Development.

Michael McClellan, 38, and Tina McClellan, 36, of Richton Park, Ill., own and operate the Paragon Restaurant in Schererville, Ind., and T & M Daycare located in Calumet City, Ill., were charged in an indictment that was returned Oct. 17 and unsealed Nov. 29.

Michael McClellan was charged with one count of harboring illegal aliens and three counts of mail fraud. McClellan and his wife Tina McClellan were also charged with one count of making money transactions in criminally derived property.

The indictment alleges that in February 2009, and continuing until on or about March 2010, Michael McClellan harbored illegal aliens at the Paragon Restaurant and at a home he owned located behind the restaurant. He also submitted false quarterly reports which failed to account for restaurant employees he had paid in cash in a scheme to defraud the Indiana Department of Workforce Development out of unemployment insurance tax contributions.

Additionally, the indictment alleges that from 2006 through 2010 the McClellans, as owners of the T & M Daycare center, provided false information to the State of Illinois claiming that certain children had attended the daycare, when, in fact, they had not, causing reimbursements of at least $200,000 from the State of Illinois and Healthy Start program. The McClellans used the criminally derived funds to purchase the home located behind the Paragon Restaurant.

“Homeland Security Investigations holds employers accountable when they knowingly hire an illegal alien workforce to gain an unfair advantage over their law-abiding competitors. Our goal is to level the playing field for those businesses that play by the rules”, said Gary Hartwig, special agent in charge of HSI Chicago.

Assistant United States Attorney Gary Bell, Northern District of Indiana, is prosecuting the case.

The United States Attorney’s Office emphasized that an indictment is merely an allegation and that all persons charged are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.

Indictment for 16 in Alien Smuggling Ring

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Sixteen people were arrested Tuesday, October 16, 2012, on alien smuggling and/or drug smuggling charges. The arrests were announced by: U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson, Southern District of Texas; Special Agent in Charge Sean McElroy, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); and Chief Charles McClelland, Houston Police Department (HPD).

The two-year investigation resulted in the return of two sealed indictments Sept. 20, which were unsealed following the execution of arrest warrants Oct. 16 and 17.

The first indictment outlines a long-term smuggling operation dating back to July 2011. According to the indictment, illegal aliens were smuggled across the United States-Mexico border and were either required to pay a fee or transport narcotics into the country to satisfy their smuggling debt. The indictment outlines how this group allegedly used conference calls during their smuggling venture as they tried to locate and avoid law enforcement.

Aliens and drugs were transported through the South Texas area into and throughout the United States, according to the charges. Those operating the smuggling ring were allegedly paid large sums of money for their involvement.

“Transnational criminal organizations account for a growing amount of crime in our communities and across the country,” said McElroy. “HSI is committed to working together with our local law enforcement partners to keep our communities safe.”

Following are those who were arrested Oct. 16: Eliazar Gonzales, 28, Jose Luis Fuentes, 30, Ruben Avila, 31, Daniel Avila, 29, Jose Antonio Lopez, 24, Jose Galvan Arranda, 50, Israel Alcaraz, 31, and Vinnie Chavez, 34, all of Houston; Noemi Rosales-Sanchez, 35, of Roma, Texas; Marino Garcia, 36, of Mexico; and Otoniel Dumari Hernandez-Rojas, 31, of El Salvador. They are expected to appear before Magistrate Judge Mary Milloy Oct. 17. Fidel Galarza Cardenas, 46, of Mexico, made his initial appearance Oct. 11 after being transferred from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

If convicted of the marijuana conspiracy charge, the defendants face up to 40 years imprisonment and a $5 million fine; if convicted of alien smuggling, they face up to 10 years and $250,000 fine.

Four others were also arrested Wednesday, October 17, 2012, but charged in a separate case: Aldo Teyes-Sanchez, 29, Eulogio Alanis, 27, Antonio Rivas-Vargas, 29, all of Houston; and Saul Porros-Sanchez, 24, of Mexico, are charged with conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine. They face up to 40 years in prison and a $5 million fine.

Those taken into custody Wednesday, October 17, 2012, are expected to appear this week before Judge Milloy.

These charges resulted from an investigation by HSI and HPD, with the assistance of the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark E. Donnelly and Timothy S. Braley are prosecuting this case.

An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.

Indictment for Mexican Cartel Mastermind Behind Extensive Drug Tunnels

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A probe by the multi-agency San Diego Tunnel Task Force has resulted in the indictment of a high-ranking operative for Mexico’s Sinaloa drug cartel accused of masterminding two massive cross-border drug tunnels discovered along the U.S.-Mexico border in November 2010 and November 2011.

Jose Sanchez Villalobos, aka Quirino, 49, is charged in a 13-count federal indictment, handed down in February and unsealed Wednesday, October 3, 2012, with building, financing and operating two illicit underground passageways. Investigators say Sanchez Villalobos oversaw the shipment of large quantities of marijuana into the Tijuana area and arranged to have it smuggled through the sophisticated tunnels he controlled. U.S. authorities have asked Mexicoto extradite him.

“This investigation clearly underscores our resolve to track down those responsible for constructing and financing the sophisticated tunnels we’re increasingly seeing along the San Diego-Tijuana border,” said Derek Benner, special agent in charge for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Diego. “I commend the collaborative work by agents on the San Diego Tunnel Task Force and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their perseverance and hard work that resulted in this significant indictment.”

The indictment charges Sanchez Villalobos with nine counts of conspiracy to distribute and import marijuana and four counts of building, financing and using the tunnels. All but one of the counts in the indictment carries a maximum penalty of life in prison.

According to the indictment, Sanchez Villalobos built, financed and operated a 612-yard cross-border drug tunnel discovered Thanksgiving Day 2010. The tunnel, equipped with rail tracks, connected a warehouse in San Diego’s Otay Mesa industrial park with one in neighboring Tijuana, Mexico. On the Mexican side, the tunnel’s entrance was accessed through a hydraulically-controlled steel door and an elevator concealed beneath the warehouse floor. The ensuing investigation by federal agents resulted in the seizure of more than 22 tons of marijuana.

The indictment further accuses Sanchez Villalobos of building, financing and operating a second major tunnel discovered by the San Diego Tunnel Task Force Nov. 29, 2011, in the same industrial park. That tunnel, which ran for 600 yards under the U.S.-Mexico border, resulted in the seizure of 32 tons of marijuana, including 26 tons recovered on the U.S. side – one of the largest marijuana seizures in U.S. history.

The San Diego Tunnel Task Force is comprised of federal agents from HSI, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Border Patrol. To date, more than 150 tunnels have been discovered on the California-Mexico border, more than half of which were discovered in the last four years.

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