(File, courtesy of KKTV). DENVER Authorities on Wednesday announced the indictments of 30 people who are accused of being members of a Denver-based drug trafficking group with suspected ties to a Mexican cartel, according to officials and court documents. Joaquin Guzman, the Mexican drug lord known as "El Chapo," entered a Colorado prison known as "the Alcatraz of the Rockies" on Friday to begin a life sentence after being found guilty of a raft of crimes including conspiracy to commit murder. The Defense Department said the soldiers acted on their own and shot at the vehicle after they heard a loud noise following the crash. The covert operation saw police drop the fake shipment about 40 nautical miles west of Perth, where a shore party allegedly made multiple efforts to locate and retrieve it. Around 6:43 p.m., agents watching the carport saw Tarango-Rodriguez arrive, and Trevizo got on the phone, according to the indictment. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. "Much like the Sinaloa Cartel, CJNG is a poly-drug trafficking organization dealing in wholesale amounts of primarily methamphetamine, but also cocaine, heroin, and marijuana," the DEA notes, adding, "CJNG has drug distribution hubs in the US cities of Los Angeles and Atlanta.". 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. The Defendants from Mexico are: Jose Tapia-Rubio, 58, (naturalized); Selestino Hernandez-Mayo, 45; Fredy Paz-Herrera, age unknown; Bancholas, age unknown, (thought to be from Mexico); Rodrigo Mora-Sanchez, 49, (naturalized); Oscar Mora-Campos, age unknown; Eduardo Jimenez-Sanchez, 37; Changuito, age unknown, (thought to be from Mexico); Um-9584, age unknown, (thought to be from Mexico); Leopoldo Rodriguez-Padilla, Age Unknown; And Heberto Mora-Sanchez, 43. RELATED: DEA seizes more than 110,000 fentanyl-laced pills, issues 19 indictments. "Though not as expansive as its rival," the Sinaloa cartel, with which it fought a multiyear war for control of Ciudad Juarez, "the Juarez Cartel continues to impact United States drug consumer markets primarily in Denver, Chicago, Oklahoma, and Kansas City," the DEA reports. 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 . Of the 17 defendants, 11 are from Mexico, four from El Salvador, and two are from California. 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. Fountain woman to get no jail time for sexually assaulting 13-year-old, mother unhappy with plea deal. Access all of our premium content, get unlimited digital access and more! EVERYONE ELSE SHOULD FOLLOW OUR LEAD! 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. 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. The identity of that cartel is not being released as it remains the subject of an ongoing criminal investigation.. Mexican drug cartels are leading suppliers of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and other illicit narcotics to the United States. If you would like to share a story idea, please submit it here. On Sept. 24, Rivera-Beltran picked up Guadalupe Ortiz at the Phoenix airport after he missed a previous flight according to texts and GPS pings, the indictment says. 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. The suspected traffickers sold meth, heroin, cocaine and fentanyl pills in Colorado and transported funds from the drug sales to groups in California, and then eventually to Mexico, according an indictment in the case. The . When will the Beast from the East be at YOUR door? 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 joined the Gazette in 2016. 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. El Potosino is not a registered business, its website is inactive and no other wholesale food distributors in Colorado Springs were even aware of El Potosinos existence or that it purported to compete with them, the complaint and other records said. Tarango-Rodriguez said in the calls that the "buttons" Rivera-Beltran had were not good. A sixth. 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. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider Antonio Ortiz asked Rivera-Beltran over a call if he had received the "chocolates," believed to be heroin, and asked for "two," believed to be two kilos, according to the indictment. Their families would laugh and say keep them. Colorado Springs mayoral candidates address affordable homeownership. According to their guilty pleas, they also sent. 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. The legal marijuana industry could be the fastest growing sector of the. In a conversation with Beltran-Beltran later that day, Rivera-Beltran said that things were bad and the police had gotten Jorge Escamilla and his brother Antonio Lorenzo Escamilla on their way to Arizona, according to the indictment. The Colorado Springs restaurants, meanwhile, all remain open. Most notably, the Juarez cartel has reportedly seen its dominance in most of New Mexico eroded by the Sinaloa cartel. "CJNG's rapid territorial expansion is characterized by the organization's willingness to engage in violent confrontations with Mexican Government security forces and rival cartels," as in a 2015 incident in which CJNG gunmen downed a Mexican military helicopter, as well as more recent cases of grisly displays left behind in Tijuana. 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. You can review our Community Guidelines by clicking here. Sinaloa Cartel is one of the oldest and most successful drug cartels in Mexico. The car was stopped by state troopers. The Treasury sanctioned eight Mexican companies accused of being involved in a timeshare fraud scheme controlled by one of Mexico's most infamous drug cartels. According to the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), the Sinaloa Mexican Drug Cartel is known to be the dominant drug cartel in both California and Colorado. Rivera-Beltran said he arrived in Phoenix that day around 5 a.m., which was confirmed by GPS, told him to hide the money well, and Escamilla to bring 55 stacks of $100 bills to reduce bulk, according to the indictment. The undercover officer who first made contact with Rivera-Beltran arranged another drug purchase, and the indictment says $2,200 was exchanged for a pound of meth in the same Target parking lot on June 17. Disclosure: 13 US Cities That Are Crowded By Mexican Drug Cartels is originally published at Insider Monkey. Mothers, grab your sons and hold them tightly. 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 ; "This group I put together is designed specifically to protect product, people, and money. DENVER Authorities on Wednesday announced the indictments of 30 people who are accused of being members of a Denver-based drug trafficking group with suspected ties to a Mexican cartel, according to officials and court documents. We try to spoil when we should understand we haven't spoiled so much, because they know we are working hard for them. Nuevo Laredo is the worst of all the border cities for kidnapping US citizens. Investigators also followed the vehicle driven by Peterson, watched him transfer the items into another truck, and pulled him over, the indictment says. Crime scene photo at Taco Star. Zambada now is assumed to head the Sinoloa Cartel. 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!!!! On Aug 19., the indictment says, state troopers stopped Anali Saavedra Flores on I-25. Rivera-Beltran also said that he found customers in Arizona who were buying 5,000 to 7,000 fentanyl pills, according to the indictment. When authorities arrived at the residence to serve the warrant, the indictment says, officers made contact with Gustavo Labrador-Valderrama, as well as Christian Gerardo Beltran-Beltran, who ran away from the scene. An intelligence report that was reviewed by TV Azteca claimed Mata had a criminal background record in San Antonio, Texas. The six restaurants and El Potosino which means the one from San Luis Potosi, Mexico, an area associated with drug cartels are accused in a drug-money laundering scheme in the sealed federal complaint filed in November. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. RELATED:. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. In Colorado Springs, those are three Taco Star eateries, at 318 N. Wahsatch Ave., 7434 Ridgewood Drive and 605 N. Circle Drive; two Monicas Taco Shops, at 30 E. Fillmore St. and 5829 Palmer Park Blvd. Even back before the break of the war, US gov was warning against going there. The CJNG is believed to be engaging multiple rival organizations, the Sinaloa cartel in particular, in violent turf wars in several areas on Mexico's west coast. A video showed a Mexican cartel lining up. The organization also predicted. Since the 1980s, they have dominated the international narcotics trade. Please keep your comments respectful and relevant. Los Zetas Cartel is the least influential of the 6 Mexican cartels, but this doesn't mean that its members aren't dangerous people. He reportedly operated under the aliases of 'El Gus' and 'El Baby Syko.'. Guzman-Loera is the leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, becoming involved in drug trafficking in the late 1980s. (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. Albertacos did close briefly after funds were seized, but it has reopened. The latest breaking news, delivered straight to your email! Authorities have seized more than $1.5 million from 15 bank accounts and two safety deposit boxes of the restaurants. The locally grown hydroponic or high grade weed has not even slowed the Mexican weed sales? Commerce City Police Department officers identified the driver as Trevizo and a passenger as Misael Acosta-Garcia. (Luis Velarde and Sarah Hashemi/The Washington Post) (AP). 'Yes, the Boulder area could be a giant cash cow for the Department of Homeland Security Cartel! Click to see the list of top 5 cities that are crowded by Mexican drug cartels. Guzmn is a known escape artist as well. Ryan Saavedra is a contributor for Breitbart Texas and can be found on Twitter at @RealSaavedra. Jalisco New Generation Cartel is the only Mexican cartel that uses New York City as a major hub. 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. 9Wants to Know examined a situation report from the US Department of Justice National Drug Intelligence Center, which says the Juarez and Sinaloa cartels are active in five Colorado cities. Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) is the youngest of the top 6 Mexican drug cartels. drug cartel, an illicit consortium of independent organizations formed to limit competition and control the production and distribution of illegal drugs. Jalisco New Generation. "Legal businesses will likely see a rise in extortion attempts while law enforcement will see a lot of backdoor deals being made.". A Mexican cartel assassin butchered one of his rivals, cut his heart out and took bites from it in harrowing footage posted online as a warning to other gang members. "Any way you plan it out, there's going to be a large amount of cash around," he said. We have no idea what the Mexican drug cartels do with all that RMB and how they smuggle all that cash out of China. Here are our rankings using DEA's data: Los Zetas Cartel is the only Mexican cartel that uses New Orleans as a major hub. Investigators said Rivera-Beltran's comments proved he knew about the drugs at the stash house (some of which were discovered in the locations he mentioned), as well as his participation in the drug conspiracy and clean-up efforts, according to the indictment. Marshals Service The Flores brothers admitted to smuggling at least 1,500 kgs of cocaine for the Sinaloa cartel into the US every month between 2005 and 2008. Also on Sept. 18, the indictment says, Beltran-Beltran called Rivera-Beltran about Escamilla bringing $100,000 or $105,000 to Phoenix, which was later seized by authorities. 22:55 03 Mar 2023, updated 23:04 03 Mar 2023. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. "They have found that it's easier to grow and process marijuana in Colorado, ship it throughout the United States, than it is to bring it from Mexico or Cuba," Elder said. But the general consensus is that the Mexican cartels will not quietly relinquish the Denver market. True, its a little weak but I'm grateful to the volunteers at BB.As far as the pentagon spending goes you're preaching to the choir. Los Zetas Cartel is also the only Mexican cartel that uses Dallas as a major hub. Tarango-Rodriguez went into the address and returned with two trash bags, which the indictment said were given to occupants of Trevizo's vehicle. DENVER (AP) - The U.S. Department of Justice says two Mexican cartels are active in five Colorado cities. They discussed concern over a camera pointing towards the carport, and the indictment says Rivera-Beltran commented that he would go to the residence of Albert Sanchez Rodriguez or somewhere else. Two days later, the indictment says, Tarango-Rodriguez called Rivera-Beltran, and investigators said it was clear that Rivera-Beltran was nervous about going to a party after the search warrant was executed. 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. The restaurants would buy food from El Potosino and accept invoices for items they did not order or receive so checks could be cut to the company and Aguilar-Martinez, 48, who is in the U.S. illegally, the complaint said. The Sinaloa cartel is the oldest cartel. Taking over a trade once ruled by drug cartels and turning it into an all-cash business could make pot shops prime targets for extortion, black-market competition and robbery. Mexico's long-running drug war . It alleges that El Potosino was a front company used to funnel drug money through Mexican restaurants in Colorado and Wyoming. 02-22-2022. Jonathan Aguilar did not survive after he was struck in the temple. You can go to Tijuana, you can usually kind of fly under the radar for a while in Juarez, but Nuevo Laredo, come on. "Mexican drug cartels in Boulder (Nanooo Nanooo), NORAD Central/ Air Force Academy and Dullsville-Pueblo, too. A meeting was set for May 1, when, the indictment says, the informant met with Padilla-Romo in the parking lot of the Safeway at 201 E. Jefferson Ave. in Englewood, and exchanged $1,600 for 210.1 grams of meth. In June 1993, Guzman-Loera was arrested in Chiapas, Mexico and sentenced to a 20-year prison term. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! Rivera-Beltran then called Maritza, and, according to the indictment, asked if she found food and money in the house and said "that was a good stash house." In 2017, 16-year-old Nathaniel Czajkowski was shot to death in Albertacos while eating with three friends, two of whom also were shot. He also made calls to customers and suppliers throughout the month, the indictment says. DENVER Some Colorado restaurants are tied to Mexican drug lord Joaquin Guzman, also known as "El Chapo," according to court records filed in Cheyenne, Wyoming. In 2012 the Mexican Competitiveness Institute issued a report saying that Mexicos cartels would lose as much as $1.425 billion if Colorado legalized marijuana. The next day, the indictment says, agents arranged surveillance on I-70 in Summit County of a car rented in Arizona by Diarte. 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. She wants you to know he's more than a number. "Mexico is already in Colorado without the risks," the agent, who requested anonymity, said of the state's heavy pre-existing cartel presence. Juarez Cartel is also the only Mexican cartel that uses El Paso as a major hub. The Mexican Mafia (Spanish: Mafia Mexicana), also known as La eMe (Spanish for "the M"), is a Mexican American criminal organization in the United States. Four members of the army were placed under arrest Thursday and each face homicide, bodily injury and disobedience charges, Jonathan Aguilar did not survive after he was shot in the temple by a Mexican soldier after the vehicle he was riding in crashed into a parked vehicle in the border city of Nuevo Laredo, Jennifer Castillo (right) found out Sunday morning after her son Gustavo Surez (left) has been killed by the Mexican military that his girlfriend was expecting the couple's first child, Jennifer Castillo said that her son Gustavo Castillo had purchased his Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck in February and that the vehicle's temporary license plate had been removed by the soldiers who were involved in the deadly shooting, Wilberto Mata is said to have links to the Northeast Cartel, a criminal organization that operates in Nuevo Laredo, a northern Mexico border city across from Texas, Wilberto Mata, an alleged Northeast Cartel member, reportedly had a criminal background record in San Antonio, Texas, 22:55 03 Mar 2023, updated 23:04 03 Mar 2023, Luis Martnez, who survived after he was shot twice and is in an induced coma, was part of the cartel's special force 35th battalion. It is also the most significant drug trafficking organization in the United States. He had previously changed his profile image to the logo of the criminal organization's special forces 35th battalion. Federal agents seized a slew of drugs in the case, including about 400 pounds of methamphetamine and 15,000 fentanyl pills a powerful synthetic opioid that were disguised as prescription oxycodone, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Denver. A wiretap order was signed for Padilla-Romo's phone number in May, and agents learned that he was negotiating drug deals with multiple individuals including Luis "Chilo" Jacob Zytacua, who the indictment says also negotiated the purchase of guns. It is the 4th most powerful Mexican drug cartel operating in the United States. It is also the most significant drug trafficking organization in the United States. Agents saw Escamilla arrive at the rental car agency, and tracked him back to his home where he loaded the rental truck with several backpacks and a tan bag, the indictment says. Drug cartels are extremely well-organized, well-financed, efficient, and ruthless. You might want to lay off the coffee and keep an eye on the soapbox because you are tripping over it. Juarez Cartel is the only Mexican cartel that uses Oklahoma City as a major hub. 'The Sinaloa and Juarez cartels are active from the Starbucks locales there in Boulder!' Chinese nationals aren't allowed to transfer their wealth outside of China, so they are willing to pay Mexican drug cartels a premium for the cartels' US dollar cash holdings in exchange for RMB payments in China. I have a fleet of submarines, airplanes, trucks and boats.. Rivera-Beltran then called Antonio Ortiz and old him "s*** went to hell," and that they needed to save what they could because there was a lot of "work," believed to be drugs, at the house, according to the indictment. A money transfer station at the grocery store was used to send some of the proceeds back to Mexico. AP Photo/U.S. Market data provided by Factset. 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. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. She is a proud Ohioan, champion for local libraries, volunteer reading tutor and an expert ice cream connoisseur (mint chocolate chip!). It is believed to have a more horizontal structure, as an organization of allied factions, frequently working together but often in control of different aspects of the drug production, trafficking, and distribution processes. Last week, the US government also took action against a network of Sinaloa Cartel members and associated entities for their involvement in providing chemicals to super labs that produce illicit drugs like fentanyl and methamphetamine for the cartel once run by the notorious drug lord Joaquin El Chapo Guzmn. KRDO NewsChannel 13 is committed to providing a forum for civil and constructive conversation. Mexico's Agriculture Ministry said U.S. health . (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo, File). Inside the vehicle, the indictment says, investigators found 5,636.88 grams of cocaine also packaged as bricks with the word "CHANEL" stamped on them. 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. A short time later, the indictment says Austin Peterson and Anita Bateman arrived in a vehicle used to transport cocaine to Denver. Photos shared by Mata's friends on social media showed him holding a rifle and wearing a black vest with the Cartel del Noreste's (Northeast Cartel) initials, 'CDN,' across the chest and ammunition hanging from it. FILE - In this Feb. 10, 2020 file photo, a policeman drives past town hall in Apaseo El Alto, Guanajuato state, Mexico. Los Zetas Cartel is also the only Mexican cartel that uses Laredo as a major hub. Surez was chased by two Army pickup trucks before he lost control of his own and crashed into parked vehicle. The WORST care homes in England: Interactive map reveals the lowest-rated 2,530 residences - so is An intelligence report obtained by TV Azteca indicated that Wilberto Mata, one of the five young men killed by soldier in the northern border city of Nuevo Laredo, was an alleged member of the Cartel del Noreste ( Northeast Cartel), Gustavo Surez, an American from San Antonio, Texas, was a purported member of the Northeast Cartel, according to a Mexican intelligence report. A wiretap order was also signed for Zytacua's phone number, the indictment says. Documents filed Wednesday . @ 4:00 PMThe article is about cartel presence in Colorado among other things. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Our ranking methodology is quite simple. Through these calls, the agents determined Tarango-Rodriguez was Padilla-Romo's source of drugs, according to the indictment. The indictment says Trevizo's vehicle was pulled over by officers after it left the residence. 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. After a K9 alerted the presence of narcotics in the trunk, the indictment says, authorities discovered a $5,000 stack from her purse, and she gave them Ortiz's phone number, which stopped working shortly after. COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) - A Sierra High School student was shot off-campus on Tuesday. Maybe he was hoping the Zetas would kidnapped that girl because she was stupid enough to follow him there. Castillo said Surez lived with her and that he worked in the construction business with his stepfather. 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. He told the informant the trap cars he ordered were not ready and had to be redone. They clearly don't care about violating the employment discrimination laws. Extortion has proven to be a lucrative ancillary enterprise for cartels in Mexico resulting in thousands of businesses closing rather than pay the quota, as it is called, or the store owners face the threat of death, which too has occurred. Troopers located the box and found about 728.8 grams of heroin, about 2.32 kilos of several pre-packaged blue 30-milligram fentanyl pills and about 32.3 grams of meth seized from Ernestina Montoya, a passenger in the car, according to the indictment. Rodolfos Mexican Grill is in Cheyenne, Wyo., where the investigation began with a suspicious vehicle purchase. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. He later bragged to movie star Sean Penn: I supply more heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana than anybody else in the world. The state of Colorado was the first to officially legalize marijuana and to offer recreational marijuana in 2014. . The bullet-hole riddled roof of a church, the site of a bloody cartel battle in El Limoncito. or redistributed. New Terms of Use; New Privacy Policy; Your Privacy Choices; Closed Captioning Policy; Help; Contact Us; This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or . The 21-year-old was driving the pickup truck that crashed into a parked car after he refused orders from the military to pull over. This crime, which can defraud victims of their life savings, results in another significant revenue stream for the cartel and strengthens its overall criminal enterprise. Trevizo and Tarango-Rodriguez then drove separately to a residence at 6841 Locust St.