Sergio Ruiz was sentenced to 240 months in prison. The federal threshold for prosecuting marijuana crimes goes by weight, and there must be 1,000 lbs or more of the drug, Mace said. The arrests underscore the tough stance law enforcement officials are now taking when dealing with Mexican drug cartels and street gangs. She was arrested on Feb. 27 and is in custody pending a detention hearing on Mar. Box 607 According to court records, Jose Mendoza and Natalie Mendoza also laundered proceeds from their drug trafficking by making large cash payments on auto loans and large cash deposits into accounts at credit unions. Vigil said he is encouraged by the tone of the Trump administration, which has vowed support and funding to further these operations. April has been a relatively peaceful month so far in Juarez. A locked padlock The drugs found included 8,810 pounds of fentanyl and 13,216 pounds of heroin. charlotte jones anderson family best airbnb near london miss scarlet and the duke based on book recent drug bust in new mexico 2020. recent drug bust in new mexico 2020. by . Ryan Rodriguezs girlfriend, Bridget Archuleta, is alleged to have participated in drug sales with Rodriguez. }); googletag.cmd.push(function() { Investigators also recovered more than 30 firearms and seized approximately $14,000 in cash. $37M in meth discovered in fresh tomato shipment. New Mexico State Police say they found more than a dozen guns - some of them stolen - thousands in cash, a. . The maximum penalty on conviction is from five to 40 years in prison. The Brevard County Sheriff's Office said investigators uncovered 75 firearms, 9 pounds of methamphetamine, 3 pounds of fentanyl and an undisclosed amount of heroin. According to the U.S. State Department in Ciudad Juarez, there were 545 murders in 2016, an increase from the two previous years. The busts netted some 64 kilograms of methamphetamine, 30 kilograms of heroin, 20 kilograms of marijuana and 17 kilograms of cocaine. Search arrest records and find latests mugshots and bookings for Misdemeanors and Felonies. 0:51. TEMPE, Ariz. ( 3TV/CBS 5 /Gray News) - The Tempe Police Department, Drug Enforcement Administration and Arizona Attorney General's Office shared details on Thursday about a major bust that took . Six people have been arrested by ICE on various drug trafficking charges involving crack cocaine. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Over 17 pounds of methamphetamine with an estimated street value of almost $600,000 was seized. Gonzales said 39 members of the group were charged in a federal indictment, and 26 have been arrested, so far. Largest Database of New Mexico Mugshots. AG Sessions vows to eradicate MS-13 gang violence, Violence has surged in Juarez the past few years. window.googletag = window.googletag || {cmd: []}; The drugs found included 8,810 pounds of fentanyl and 13,216 pounds of heroin. Fox News Flash top headlines for November 24. There were 438 killings in 2014 and 312 in 2015. Investigators seized 602 pounds of cocaine, 136 pounds of crystal meth, heroin, $3.7 million and 22 firearms as part of the drug bust. In addition, decreasing the supply of illegal drugs functions primarily to increase the cost that consumers pay which with illegal drugs means that one of the prices they pay is in increased health risk by having a heavily diluted and unsafe drug supply. The following agencies assisted with the investigation . U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between official ports of entry. Were going to make sure that youre always looking over your shoulder, Vigil said about dangerous Mexican drug cartels making their way into Texas. CBP finds $61M worth of drugs in loads of cactus and limes. The cartels are very ingrained in New Mexico communities with cells and stash houses. Theyll bring amounts of this size across this border and store them in stash houses until it is large enough to move to other parts of the country, Vigil said. Fox News Flash top headlines are here. window.googletag = window.googletag || {cmd: []}; Charges unknown. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. But, he add, he doesnt see the proposed border wall as a solution. of cocaine found in wheels of traveler's wheelchair at airport Legal. googletag.pubads().collapseEmptyDivs(); googletag.enableServices(); During the traffic stop, Troopers identified several indicators of criminal activity, and a drug-sniffing K9 was requested to the scene, who subsequently indicated to the presence of narcotics within the vehicle. "We are not talking about people that simply possess. Mexican law enforcement officials made four major drug busts in recent days which yielded over 120,000 lbs. Vigil told Fox News that while on the surface this may not seem like a major drug bust, it does follow a pattern used by major drug traffickers. Gonzales said the dealers arrested were mostly longtime Espaola Valley residents. Albuquerque, New Mexico 87103, Telephone: (505) 346-7274 Toronto police announce 'staggering' $61 million cross-Canada drug bust Police on Tuesday announced the seizure of 444 kg of cocaine, 182 kg of crystal meth, 427 kg of marijuana, 300 oxycodone . Showing 1 - 10 of 10919 results. Date: 3/3 8:39 pm. googletag.defineSlot('/21776187881/FW_Super_Leaderboard', [[300, 50], [970, 90], [300, 100], [728, 90]], 'div-gpt-ad-1668097889433-0').defineSizeMapping(gptSizeMaps.banner2).addService(googletag.pubads()); Marshals Office, New Mexico Division. Ryan Rodriguez is charged in all 12 counts of the indictment. The bust comes as several states have legalized recreational marijuana; New Mexico is set to decriminalize it in April. Jose Mendoza is charged in Counts 1, 2, 9, 10, 11, and 12. CBP is charged with securing the borders of the United States while enforcing hundreds of laws and facilitating lawful trade and travel. Friday, June 11th, 2010 at 1:10AM. Santa Fe County District Attorney Angela Spence Pacheco said she appreciated federal authorities taking an interest in the drug problems that have plagued her part of New Mexico. Here are five of the biggest U.S.-Mexico border drug busts this year. John Tavares, 36, was sentenced on Feb. 7, 2023 by U.S. District Court Judge Leo. Manage the news you want to see, read exclusive content and explore other subscriber benefits. The DAs office, Chaves County, Lea County, and the Roswell Police Chief expressed the importance of having federal agencies involved. Dozens of Albuquerque Academy students volunteered to help unload and deliver the furnishings, Colorado State slices up Lobos; UNM is a 6 seed in league tourney, If it MUST be the NIT, UNM basketball has a plan, After bill was vetoed last year, lawmakers try again to boost pay of NM judges, Gun safe storage bill inches closer to governor's desk after winning Senate approval. Natalie Mendoza allegedly kept records of drug sales and collected proceeds from drug transactions. More than 17,500 pounds (7,930 kilograms) of meth and 389 pounds (176 kilograms) of fentanyl were discovered last Thursday hidden inside a tractor-trailer at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry in [] Friday, February 7th, 2020 at 12:02AM. The raids, which also targeted properties in Mexico City and the northern state of Durango, marked the latest large-scale fentanyl bust . and cocaine from Mexico across the border and up I-5 to the . Count 1 charges all six defendants with conspiracy to distribute cocaine base. This indictment is the product of a joint federal investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Region III Narcotics Task Force which includes members of the BIA, New Mexico State Police, the Santa Fe Police Department, the Santa Fe County Sheriff and the Taos Police Department. Sessions visited border towns and Long Island, New York, the past two weeks to announce that the administration will clamp down on MS-13, a violent street gang with Central American roots that is terrorizing many parts of the country. . The Dallas Sheriffs Department was contacted and confirmed extradition of the male subject. googletag.cmd.push(function() { . We made over 100 arrests this week also seized 17 firearms and also seized about 6,000 grams of narcotics including heroin, meth, and marijuana, Sonya K. Chavez, Special Agent in charge for the U.S. They were allegedly distributing drugs throught New Mexico and Texas and into Colorado and other states. Contact, Copyright 2023, All Rights Reserved, FreightWaves, Inc, Five biggest Mexico border drug busts of 2020, Loaded & Rolling (Enterprise Fleet News/Analysis), Mexican police find $62M in drugs in abandoned truck near border, CBP finds $61M worth of drugs in loads of cactus and limes, $37M in meth discovered in fresh tomato shipment, $31M in methamphetamine hidden in trucks roof, Truck carrying $30 million in liquid meth seized in El Paso. Two people got caught with an illegal psilocybin mushroom grow and other drugs in a Lyons home. Know of a story that needs to be covered? However, I think what they show is what a huge failure the entire effort of attempting to prohibit illegal drugs from Mexico from entering the USA is. Is it always financially worthwhile to attend one of New Mexicos four-year public universities? KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos. googletag.enableServices(); All rights reserved. (Google Maps). Some of the drugs were headed to the US, Gallo said Sunday. ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. Jose Mendoza, 32, and Natalie Mendoza, 35, of Medanales, New Mexico, Ryan Rodriguez, 27, of Chamita, New Mexico, Andrea Rodriguez, 28, and Edvardo Carlson, 39, of Espanola, New Mexico, and Bridget Archuleta, 31, of San Juan Pueblo, New Mexico appeared in federal court today for arraignment on an indictment charging them with various drug trafficking offenses involving crack cocaine (cocaine base) in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico from Oct. 2, 2019, to Feb. 25, 2020. DEA has seized enough fentanyl this year to kill every American Drug bust uncovers enough fentanyl to kill 800K people 28 lbs. Natalie Mendoza is charged in Counts 1, 2, 5, 7, 9, 10, and 12. , VIDEO: Giant I-40 light poles sway in strong ABQ, Taxidermy birds used to make drones at New Mexico, PHOTOS: Storm leaves parts of state covered in snow, PHOTOS: Winter storm moves through NM leaving snow, PHOTOS: Storm causes snowy, icy roads across New, Map: New Mexico Veterans Monuments and Memorials, 13 Broadcast Pl SW, Albuquerque, NM, 87104, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Mace said that while the driver wasnt connected to the robberies, it was obvious that something was amiss. Further, that Ryan Rodriguez acted as a mid-level cocaine distributor, receiving supplies of cocaine from Jose and Natalie Mendoza, converting it to crack cocaine, and distributing it to customers, including an undercover agent posing as a lower-level drug trafficker. (Google Maps). Assistant U.S. Seventeen people were arrested apart of the same drug ring on a 66-count indictment. While the truckers manifest indicated the trailer held automotive body parts, an X-Ray machine detected anomalies that required further inspection, authorities said. googletag.enableServices(); Nov 18, 2022 Over half a million dollars in fentanyl, cocaine, meth seized at Texas-Mexico border U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers intercepted $578,456 worth of fentanyl, cocaine, and. An official website of the United States government. It really gives off a strong odor.. During the course of the investigation, law enforcement authorities seized or documented approximately 1.39 kilograms of cocaine, 567 grams of cocaine base, 160 grams of heroin, 2.68 kilograms of methamphetamine, and 2,000 fentanyl pills. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. February 21, 2023. Mexican police find $62M in drugs in abandoned truck near border Mexican authorities found 25,000 pounds worth of narcotics hidden inside a tractor-trailer that was abandoned just south of the Mexican border on Dec. 6. In short, drug prohibition creates drug kingpins. U.S. Attorney Kenneth J. Gonzales on Thursday announced federal Subjects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Carlos Martin Quintana-Arias, of Mexico, was driving a 2009 Kenworth Tractor pulling a 1996 Stoug trailer when he applied for entry into the U.S. at the Otay Mesa, California, Commercial Port of Entry at around 8:20 p.m., the U.S. Attorneys Office of the Southern District of California said in a news release. WATCH: Mexican marines destroyed 50 tons of meth found in a massive underground drug lab pic.twitter.com/CfdBmfk1XG. She said the drug problem contributes to other crime in the area. googletag.cmd.push(function() { }); As an anti-prohibition activist, it is interesting that these busts are being made. Dozens of Albuquerque Academy students volunteered to help unload and deliver the furnishings. "And the main driving force behind this overdose epidemic is the synthetic opioid drug fentanyl." So, one of the costs of prohibition is death of the consumer. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. U.S. Customs and Border Protection welcomes assistance from the community. Legal Statement. P.O. Lock He said most members were arrested in Chaparral, Carlsbad and Albuquerque, while others were arrested in El Paso, Denver and Atlanta. He allegedly received supplies of cocaine from Jose and Natalie Mendoza, converted it to crack cocaine, and distributed it by the ounce to customers, including an undercover agent posing as a lower level drug trafficker. Andrea Rodriguez is charged in Counts 1 and 3. Baby wipes seized at Mexico border turns out to be $11.8M in cocaine. Jun 29, 2022. swansea council parking contact number . According to a U.S. Department of Justice news release, 2,266 people were arrested as part of Project Deliverance, and law enforcement seized 74 tons of illegal drugs and $154 million in cash. kidnapping, false imprisonment and six counts of aggravated battery against a household member in the brutal beating of his wife. Nationwide, from April 2020 to April 2021, the CDC reported 100,306 drug-related overdoses nationwide. Marshal in El Paso, Vigil said he is aware of how drug cartels are impacting the region. Agents from Southwest Border Group 2 began investigating a large scale . googletag.pubads().collapseEmptyDivs(); googletag.pubads().collapseEmptyDivs(); An officer who works on a federal drug task force made a traffic stop on a suspicious vehicle on Feb. 10. recent drug bust in new mexico 2020. trader joe's chocolate ganache cake LIVE; madison 56ers apparel; recent drug bust in new mexico 2020. why was carrie's sister dropped from king of queens . Chavezs father, Dennis Chavez, declined to comment on the charges against his son. On August 6, U.S.Border Patrol Agents assigned to the Alamogordo immigration checkpoint on U.S. Highway 54, encountered a gray Jeep Patriot approaching the primary inspection area. He said the family organization mainly trafficked cocaine, and transported it throughout New Mexico and into places like Denver. "Since the seizure didnt meet that weight requirement, the federal government declined to prosecute, simply interviewing the suspect and releasing him.. Photo Courtesy ICE ICE-HSI NEWS U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents arrested six defendants Feb. 17, charged with various drug trafficking offenses involving crack cocaine. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Subscribe now to access decluttered news, chosen by you. Officers also seized 18 guns some with serial numbers ground down and at least three that were stolen more than $11,000 in cash, a Rolex watch and several forms of identification, including passports, drivers licenses and a Los Lunas Police Deparment sergeant badge that were believed to be stolen. So, prohibition works to decrease small illegal drug sellers and to keep the biggest cartels on top. DRUG CARTELS REUSING MEXICAN TUNNELS ALREADY DISCOVERED BUT LEFT UNFILLED. The two largest seizures are believed to have hit the Sinaloa cartel, while the smaller seizure in Baja California happened on turf that is primarily controlled by the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and the Tijuana Cartel. Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Among the individuals apprehended at the border some have prior criminal offenses or active warrants for aggravated assault offenses. Were going to be knocking on your doors soon its just a matter of time. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. The first-term state representative and former Albuquerque middle school math teacher grew up in Chihuahua and has an engineering degree. More than 50 drug dealers and distributors in different parts of the state were rounded up as part of two federal investigations, U.S. Attorney Kenneth J. Gonzales said Thursday. According to a story by news station KRQE, Cibola County Sheriff Tony Mace said authorities were investigating a string of armed robberies in the area; the traffic stop and resulting seizure resulted because deputies were on high alert.. Further inspection revealed that among "a few automotive" parts were 6,266 packages of drugs, officials said. All six defendants were arrested and remain in custody pending detention hearings. A diplomatic row has frozen U.S.-Mexican efforts to target drug cartels. Police seized fentanyl, meth, firearms, and more than $5,000. Amazon opening three San Antonio facilities. $31M in methamphetamine hidden in trucks roof. In a major crackdown on the drug trafficking cartels, Tripura Police in a joint operation with Assam Rifles busted a syndicate wherein 186 kg of drugs were seized and one person was arrested. Gerardo Rafael Lara-Yanez, 24, of Albuquerque, was charged in federal court with intent to distribute 400 grams and more of fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute 50 grams and more District of New Mexico New Mexico and ABQ News, Sports, Business and more, By Matthew Reisen / Journal Staff Writer }); Agents working at the Ysleta port of entry in El Paso, Texas, seized 1,543 pounds of liquid methamphetamine on Feb. 12. Aug 4, 2021. During the stop, a search of the vehicle was conducted. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. According to a criminal complaint filed in Metropolitan Court: Officers served a warrant around 4 p.m. at Chavezs home in the 500 block of Madeira SE, near Zuni and San Mateo, and detained Chavez. Weve seen numerous violent crimes such as aggravated batteries, murders, robberies, all associated with the drug problem. Man who tried to smuggle drugs into medi-hotel asks to be spared prison. The Southern California seizure occurred on Oct. 2, 2020. A grand jury returned an indictment against the defendants on Feb. 25. recent drug bust in new mexico 2020. scion capital letters 2020. pros and cons of going commando; how to become a teacher without a degree. Theyre asking anyone who knows where he is, to call the police. PORTLAND, Ore. U.S. authorities said Wednesday they completed drug-trafficking busts in Oregon that involved an international network of couriers, dealers and stash-house operators who smuggled. And the worst thing about prohibition is that USA tax payers pays to kill its own citizens and to create crime while they make drug lords extraordinarily wealthy and increases the corruption of politicians and law enforcement in Mexico and the USA. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Anytime we get a bust like that, were ecstatic were able to keep those narcotics from getting into other communities, Mace said. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Bryan Llenas reports on the attorney general's efforts on 'Special Reports'. Marshal Service, Operation Washout is a national initiative focused on the investigation and arrest of violent fugitives with active arrest warrants, by providing an immediate-impact operational model meant to support partner agencies and provide communities with relief from violent crime. Colorado State slices up Lobos; UNM is a 6 To say that defense was optional would imply is was a choice. Were going to clean up our communities.. Violence has surged in Juarez the past few years as the New Generation Jalisco Cartel is challenging the Sinaloa and Juarez Cartels for the lucrative drug trafficking route into U.S., or plaza, especially in the Juarez Valley southeast of El Paso, Texas, a long-held Sinaloa Cartel stronghold. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved.