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. Stay up to date with what you want to know. Castillo said Surez lived with her and that he worked in the construction business with his stepfather. The ban on Mexican avocados has been lifted, but an economist and a student at the Miami Herbert Business School both say that cartels are the real threat to this popular green fruit in the United States. The Jalisco New Generation cartel, which reportedly provided security for the Sinaloa cartel before splintering off, is considered by the Drug Enforcement Agency to be a top US threat and the best-armed criminal group in Mexico, according to a report from the Congressional Research Service. In a second picture that was posted online, Mata is seen with a rifle and an army fatigue green vest that appeared to have grenades concealed. On Oct. 30, the indictment says GPS showed Rodriguez's phone was traveling north on I-25, and around 1040 p.m., he was stopped in the car with Nancy Vargas by Douglas County Sheriff's Office deputies. Dunque also relayed the information that many Mexican drug cartels are now . DENVER (AP) - The U.S. Department of Justice says two Mexican cartels are active in five Colorado cities. According to the indictment, the investigation began in April, when DEA agents learned that Samuel Padilla-Romo was selling methamphetamine in the 18th Judicial District and Denver metro area. You have permission to edit this article. On Aug. 2, the indictment says, Zytacua called Amanda Bidgood and negotiated the sale of two grams of meth for $100 to Bidgood. 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. 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. Maybe he was hoping the Zetas would kidnapped that girl because she was stupid enough to follow him there. drug cartel, an illicit consortium of independent organizations formed to limit competition and control the production and distribution of illegal drugs. 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). 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. Investigators also followed the vehicle driven by Peterson, watched him transfer the items into another truck, and pulled him over, the indictment says. We ranked each city by the number of different Mexican cartels that use as a distribution hub. 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. According to their guilty pleas, they also sent. Wow, cross and walk down the streets of Nuevo Laredo as everyone there stairs at you. The Flores brothers admitted to smuggling at least 1,500 kilograms of cocaine for the Sinaloa cartel into the US every month between 2005 and 2008. A report by the agency's National Drug Intelligence Center says the Juarez and Sinaloa. His Sinaloa Cartel is one of the worlds most prolific, violent and powerful drug cartels, moving billions upon billions of dollars in marijuana, cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine, the U.S. Justice Department reports. Our ranking methodology is quite simple. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. The rest of the funds were smuggled back in secret vehicle compartments. 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. Twenty dead, including four cops, as Mexican cartel riding in skull-decorated trucks attacks town ; Mexico cartel kills 19, hangs some from bridge, leaves others chopped up on the road below ; The indictment contains 45 counts, including an asset forfeiture allegation against the stash houses that were used to hide the drugs. WE HAVE THE BEST OF THE BEST AND ITS SO AFFORDABLE NOW..25 FOR AN 1/8.COLORADO HAS THEIR SHIT TOGETHER AND HAS CHOSEN TO GO AFTER THE HARD DRUGS AND LET THE GOOD PEOPLE SMOKE THEIR WEED!!!! Mexican army soldiers display $15 million U.S. on November 22, 2011, in Mexico City. The defendants are alleged to have brought large quantities of cocaine and methamphetamine into the United States through California using secret compartments in vehicles. Well cartels and Mexican maryjuana did take a hit in Colorado. Mexico's president, Andrs Manuel Lpez Obrador, rode to power in 2018 on the slogan "hugs not . In 2017, 16-year-old Nathaniel Czajkowski was shot to death in Albertacos while eating with three friends, two of whom also were shot. Even back before the break of the war, US gov was warning against going there. Synthetic drugs such as meth and fentanyl have fundamentally changed the illicit drug market. AP Photo/U.S. It's important to note that the Sinaloa cartel doesn't function quite like a traditional, hierarchical cartel. Trevizo and Tarango-Rodriguez then drove separately to a residence at 6841 Locust St. 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. Seven of the defendants are considered fugitives. A lot of "somebody's" are buying this stuff cause the shipments keep coming and the dollars keep going to the cartels? The Sinaloa Cartel Is Controlling Water in Drought-Stricken Mexico "Water is now a valuable asset for us, and as it becomes more scarce, the more we will fight to make sure we have enough," a. It alleges that El Potosino was a front company used to funnel drug money through Mexican restaurants in Colorado and Wyoming. (AP). He later bragged to movie star Sean Penn: I supply more heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana than anybody else in the world. In addition to the 6.57 kilograms of cocaine packed for distribution, the indictment says officers also found $7,117 in the glovebox. There were 234,062 undocumented immigrants apprehended at the Texas-Mexico Border in 2015, a drop from the previous year which saw 315,803 people seized, according to the presentation. Later that day, they spoke about trying to get a car out of impound, and both said they couldn't rely on Martiza anymore, according to the indictment. Were concerned with the public consumption right now, Jackson said. Jonathan Aguilar did not survive after he was struck in the temple. A Colorado Springs food distribution company and at least six local Mexican restaurants are linked to the Sinoloa Cartel and drug lordsJoaqun El Chapo Guzmn-Lorea and Ismael El Mayo Zambada-Garcia, says a recently released federal complaint providing the first evidence of cartels operating in Colorado Springs. They Bombs Away, Mexico, Yemen, and Somalia! The drugs were kept in stash houses in Aurora, Colorado, before being distributed at a local grocery store. 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. During a two-year investigation spanning several states, federal agents and the Evansville-Vanderburgh County Joint Task Force recovered more than 123 pounds of methamphetamine, 500 oxycodone. 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'. 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 organization's purpose was distributing large amounts of drugs including fentanyl, heroin, methamphetamine and cocaine throughout the Denver metro area as well as Arapahoe, Douglas, and Jefferson counties, the indictment says. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo, File). They go by nicknames like "The Little Queen" and "The Missus.". He also made calls to customers and suppliers throughout the month, the indictment says. The state of Colorado was the first to officially legalize marijuana and to offer recreational marijuana in 2014. . Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. 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. 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. 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. In addition to more than 110,000 fentanyl-laced counterfeit pills, the DEA said it seized numerous other drugs and weapons. A wiretap order was also signed for Zytacua's phone number, the indictment says. Peterson and a confidential informant said that cocaine was provided by Adrian Santana, and the indictment says Peterson showed text messages from Santana instructing him to pick up the drugs at 6600 Kearney Street. Rivera Beltran said he would pay $500 to the person and get him a plane ticket, the indictment says. Texas' most dangerous gangs are Tango Blast and associated Tango cliques, with an estimated 19,000 members, Texas Mexican Mafia, with about 4,100 members, Latin Kings, with 1,300 members, and Mara . (Luis Velarde and Sarah Hashemi/The Washington Post) 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. "What is quite possible is that cartels will hire straw owners who have clean records who can apply for a license, then sell large quantities both legally and on the black market," Villasuso said. Five pounds of heroin and four pounds of cocaine were also seized during the investigation, which began in 2018. Example video title will go here for this video. (The Center Square) - Law enforcement investigations continue to target cartel-driven drug trafficking networks nationwide as Mexican cartels maintain operational control of the southern border, and transport dangerous narcotics and synthetic opioids to major U.S. cities. Cartel boss Carlos Enrique Sanchez, 'El Cholo', appeared in a video shortly before found dead in a Mexico park. 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. And in 2015, he crawled through an opening in a shower area that led to a mile-long tunnel, escaping the maximum-security Altiplano Federal Prison near Toluca, Mexico. In addition, two related defendants were identified and arrested after the indictment, the district attorney's office said. The owner of the Colorado Springs dispensary told the Denver Post he is planning to get a concealed-weapons permit, for protection when he has to move money out of the store. LOL, the Zetas were saying don't bother kidnapping those two, they are so stupid their families wouldn't want them back. Every halcone is calling his boss with your every move. This is a very significant operation that took a massive amount of drugs and a large number of drug traffickers off our streets, United States Attorney Jason R. Dunn said in a statement. 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. Later that night while Guadalupe Ortiz was at the airport, he spoke about concealing money in notebooks while going through security with Rivera-Beltran, according to the indictment. The Defense Department said the soldiers acted on their own and shot at the vehicle after they heard a loud noise following the crash. Executions, not just of petty dealers but of prominent business executives, livestock farmers and peasant leaders. 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. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. He was shot 12 times and died, Luis Martnez survived after he was shot twice by the Mexican military following a high-speed chase in the border city of Nuevo Laredo, across from Texas. She wants you to know he's more than a number. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider The car was stopped by state troopers. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! He had previously changed his profile image to the logo of the criminal organization's special forces 35th battalion. Mothers, grab your sons and hold them tightly. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Surez was chased by two Army pickup trucks before he lost control of his own and crashed into parked vehicle. The team collected roughly 800 pounds. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. 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. On Aug. 25, an undercover agent called Jorge Escamilla and had a conversation about "hides and traps in vehicles" before, the indictment says, the conversation turned to Rivera-Beltran. Investigators discovered through calls that Escamilla was picking up a truck from a rental car agency on Sep. 27 and set up surveillance at the location, according to the indictment. 'The Sinaloa and Juarez cartels are active from the Starbucks locales there in Boulder!' Their families would laugh and say keep them. Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. The highly-trained and combat-experienced guards are heavily-armed with assault rifles and protective vests. This is probably not the last time you hear about CJNG as it is more willing to engage in violent confrontations with rival cartels and security forces. It is understood that the mutilated corpse in the video belongs to a gunman working for the Sinaloa Cartel, whose former leader, Joaqun Archivaldo Guzmn Loera, otherwise known . RELATED: DEA warns of increase in fake prescription pills containing fentanyl, meth. The indictment said Ortiz was heard in the background of the calls talking to Rivera-Beltran. Villasuso also said that even if legal stores do face extortion efforts by cartel groups it is unlikely law enforcement will even be made aware of it if merchants are too frightened to come to police. However, his mother, Jennifer Castillo, showed proof of a Texas-issued temporary license plate and said she had title of the vehicle, which Surez purchased in February. Investigators said Rivera-Beltran began negotiating with a person later identified as Juan Francisco "Guerito" Sarabia-Mancinas for pounds of meth and pills believed to be fake 30-milligram oxycodone pills. On Aug. 17, agents intercepted a call between Rivera-Beltran and Miguel Diarte, and the indictment says they learned Diarte was transporting a large load of narcotics from Los Angeles to Aurora. Comments are open to Gazette subscribers only. Claims of jury misconduct arose after a juror told VICE News in February 2019 report that several jurors followed media accounts of the three month-long trial. The eight companies are Servicios Administrativos Fordtwoo, S.A. de C.V., Integracion Badeva, S.A. de C.V., JM Providers Office, S.A. de C.V., Promotora Vallarta One, S.A. de C.V., and Recservi, S.A. de C.V, Corporativo Title I, S.A. de C.V., Corporativo TS Business Inc, S.A. de C.V., and TS Business Corporativo, S.A. de C.V. Treasury has previously sanctioned entities related to the cartel and individuals critical to its operations. The indictment says six rectangular bricks with "CHANEL" stamped on them that tested positive for cocaine were found in the vehicle. Of the 17 defendants, 11 are from Mexico, four from El Salvador, and two are from California. Jackson said he would not speculate as to if or which cartels may decide to infiltrate the legitimate businesses or how. Sinaloa Cartel is one of the oldest and most successful drug cartels in Mexico. I can buy a pound in texas for 300 to 400 and bring it to MN and sell for 1000-1500 and thats where all the shit brick trees go, Mexican drug cartels are getting into the game of hydroponics. The extortion of 80 small-town mayors. A cellphone of Jose Aguilar-Martinez, who purported to own the unregistered wholesale distributor El Potosino Foods, had significant contact with suspected cocaine distributors in the city and in Pueblo and was linked to Guzmns and Zambadas trafficking, the complaint says. 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. According to newspaper Tribuna San Luis, Municipal Police with the support of the Mexican Army (SEDENA) surrounded a building on Hidalgo Avenue and 20th Street where a vehicle matching this description had been spotted. 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. The Sinaloa Cartel had its origin in 1989, after Miguel ngel Flix Gallardo, the main leader of the Guadalajara Cartel, was captured and transferred to a maximum security prison and could not continue with the control of his organization, causing a division that would give life to two new cartels, among them the one in Sinaloa. A seventh restaurant with ties to Colorado Springs also was named in the complaint. On July 8, after a phone call between Zytacua and a woman concerning a drug transaction, the indictment says, agents witnessed Zytacua conduct a hand-to-hand exchange with a woman at a nail salon in Aurora. Is comparing Colorado Springs' and Denver's homeless populations fair or unfair? 'Yes, the Boulder area could be a giant cash cow for the Department of Homeland Security Cartel! Mexican drug cartels control vast swaths of the US drug market, but that influence remains heavily slanted in favor of the vaunted Sinaloa cartel. Sinaloa cartel, international crime organization that is among the most-powerful drug-trafficking syndicates in the world. Through these calls, the agents determined Tarango-Rodriguez was Padilla-Romo's source of drugs, according to the indictment. "Mexico is already in Colorado without the risks," the agent, who requested anonymity, said of the state's heavy pre-existing cartel presence. I'm scared! RELATED: DEA seizes more than 110,000 fentanyl-laced pills, issues 19 indictments. Rivera-Beltran responded they would ask "Canelo" (later identified as Cesar Antonio Ortiz) for 100 more "buttons," according to the indictment. Click to see the list of top 5 cities that are crowded by Mexican drug cartels. We try to spoil when we should understand we haven't spoiled so much, because they know we are working hard for them. These interactions help Mexican organizations expand their influence, the DEA reports, and "insulates Mexican TCOs from direct ties to street-level drug seizures and arrests made by US law enforcement.". The coalition's members operate in concert to protect themselves, relying on connections at the highest levels and corrupting portions of the federal police . The indictment says Escamilla called Antonio Ortiz and told him "everything went to hell and that the police got them." Several agencies investigated the case: The FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the IRS, the Douglas County Sheriff's Office, Colorado State Patrol, and the Aurora Police Department. All rights reserved. Gulf Cartel is the 5th most influential Mexican drug cartel in the U.S.. Gulf Cartel is also the only Mexican cartel that uses Houston as a major hub. Behind the nicknames of notorious Mexican drug cartel figures In Texas, the many offices appear to have their time spent dealing with cases involving the Sinaloa, Gulf, Juarez, the Knights Templar . Police believe the shooting was tied to a drug deal that took place along West Monica Drive near . The money was seized from alleged members of the Guzman Loera drug cartel . 'Add Pueblo Colorado to the list. 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. 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. You can get killed for just walking around the east side.' A Mexican cartel enforcer says Ciudad Juarez is headed for another war >>. 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. You can go to Tijuana, you can usually kind of fly under the radar for a while in Juarez, but Nuevo Laredo, come on. The latest breaking news, delivered straight to your email! Gustavo Prez died after he was shot two times on the side and on the right forearm. A third photograph showed Mata smiling and flashing a thumbs up inside a jail cell. Los Zetas Cartel is also the only Mexican cartel that uses Dallas as a major hub. 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. One group who hopes to mitigate any risks is the Blue Line Protection Group, which specializes only in security for the marijuana stores. Seeing a growing market, Ted Daniels started the company and uses ex-military and law enforcement to provide security for the stores' money and supply shipments, and the growing operations.