The U.S. Attorneys Office said 38 defendants remain outstanding as of Thursday afternoon. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. Those arrested are slated to be arraigned in San Diego federal court Friday afternoon. He checks all my emails, messages, messengers, FB (Facebook) posts, Maya Millete texted her brother months before she disappeared, Privacy PolicyTerms of ServiceSign Up For Our Newsletters, Copyright 2023, The San Diego Union-Tribune |. With the generous support of readers like you, Times of San Diego publishes timely and accurate news coverage for a better-informed community. Local, state and federal partners on the Violent Crimes Task Force, including the FBI, worked together on the yearlong investigation. He pleaded guilty in July 2022 to one count of interstate domestic violence resulting in death and was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District . The crackdown announced today is the latest in a series of efforts by the Department of Justice to turn the tide of the opioid epidemic and reduce the inevitable violent crime that accompanies widespread drug trafficking. Those arrested today include the owners of the businesses and employees who acted as doormen, security and bankers; those who audit the machines; and those who collect the money. The FBIs Safe Streets Task Force received assistance during the investigation from the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department; U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the United States Marshals Service. The indictment details the conspirators efforts in April 2020 to smuggle 46.6 pounds (21.2 kilograms) of methamphetamine from Mexico across the U.S port of entry at Calexico and into Riverside County. Four defendants are fugitives. California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, San Diego County District Attorneys Office. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. 619-232-4311. The war for Tijuana has grown into an intense three-way battle with the involvement of two remnant factions of the once-controlling Arellano Flix Organization one is aligned with the CJNG against Sinaloa and the other is hoping to subdue both major cartels. 12.06. . Maximum Penalties: For firearms charges: Ten years in prison, and a $250,000 fine. Randy Dalo says he awoke during neck surgery at UCSD Hillcrest and has suffered from nightmares ever since. The group is accused of dispatching large groups of armed killers to take over the region, including planning more than 150 murders in a roughly six-month period, most of them in Tijuana, according to a court-authorized interception of a group chat described in a recent court filing. In total, law enforcement seized more than 150 pounds (68 kilograms) of methamphetamine and $31,035 in cash during this investigation. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. Vasquez is accused of coordinating the killings, according to a U.S. Attorneys Office motion to unseal the charges. Have a question about Government Services? Official websites use .gov Maximum Penalties: For Distribution of Methamphetamine Charge: life in prison with a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a $10 million fine. Authorities arrested a dozen of the defendants this week. Our DA team worked tirelessly with the Violent Crimes Task Force and the U.S. Attorneys Office assisting with critical search warrants during the course of this operation.. The operation resulted in 35 arrests and charges against 47 people, according to federal indictments unsealed Wednesday. We won't use your email for any other purpose, and you can opt out at any time via an unsubscribe link. "One method utilized was moving tens of thousands of dollars in narcotics proceeds to the network's leaders via Paypal, Zelle, Venmo and Cash App accounts, in addition to shipping bulk cash.". 952 & 960). Its rare to have a patron who does not use or sell methamphetamine inside these locations., We have taken down the illegal gambling dens, and we have lifted a weight off our neighborhoods, said Acting US Attorney Randy Grossman. No Thanks We won't use your email for any other purpose, and you can opt out at any time via an unsubscribe link. Most locations of these establishments are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Today we sent a message to drug traffickers in our community, U.S. Attorney Robert Brewer said. 856(a)(1)), Distribution of Methamphetamine (Title 21, U.S.C., Sec. Nearly a dozen federal indictments were unsealed in San Diego Thursday charging 23 documented gang members and associates with trafficking drugs and firearms. An official website of the United States government. Subscribe "Gangs, drugs and illegal firearms are infesting many of our neighborhoods and creating a violent culture that is unsafe for residents," Acting U.S. Attorney Randy S. Grossman said. Slaphouses are named for the button-bashing sound made by patrons playing on illegal machines. Members are nominated by Superior Court Judges to serve one-year terms. Specifically, on June 8, 2021, a federal grand jury indictment resulting from the sting operation was unsealed in San Diego. the announcement coincided with the unsealing of a federal grand jury indictment in san diego charging 17 foreign nationals with conspiring to violate the racketeer influenced and corrupt. Attorneys Matthew J. Sutton and Adam Gordon. DEFENDANTS Case Number: 21CR1411-DMS, DEFENDANT Case Number: 21CR1412-DMS, DEFENDANTS Case Number: 21CR1413-DMS, DEFENDANTS Case Number: 21CR1414-DMS. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS This prosecution underscores that coordinated criminal activity will be met with a coordinated and focused law enforcement response by the U.S. Attorneys Office and our law enforcement partners at the federal, state, and local level. Our team of experts has selected the best teeth whitening gel out of hundreds of options. Maximum Penalties: For the drug charges: Life in prison with a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a $10 million fine. 371 Conspiracy), Illegal Gambling Business (Title 18, U.S.C., Sec. An official website of the United States government. Learn more about how we use cookies in our cookie policy. SAN DIEGO - A federal grand jury has indicted 47 people who are allegedly associated with illegal gambling establishments that are closely tied to gangs, drugs and violence in San Diego neighborhoods. Many of the defendants are documented members or associates of violent South Bay street gangs operating out of National City, San Ysidro, and elsewhere. The 19-count indictment charges a total of 19 defendants with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum 10-year prison sentence and a statutory maximum penalty of life imprisonment. One has pleaded guilty and the other is awaiting trial. for adult inmates in San Diego, California in San diego that opened in 1974. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. Investigators conducted extensive physical surveillance in conjunction with a six-month federal wiretap operation that intercepted the communications of the networks members and was used to track their locations. Long is a reputed member of the V-Boys Vietnamese street gang, who has previous convictions for illegal gambling and drugs, according to the affidavit. U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of California, Forty-Seven Defendants Charged in Illegal Gambling and Drug Indictments, San Diego Resident Sentenced to 15 Years for His Role in Fatal Fentanyl Overdose, Defendant Sentenced to 10 Years in Case Featured on HBO Documentary The Crime of the Century, Mexican National Sentenced to 108 Months Following Record-Breaking Seizure of Fentanyl and Meth, Forty Seven Defendants Charged In Illegal Gambling and Drug Indictments. Fax: (619) 546-0720 With the generous support of readers like you, Times of San Diego publishes timely and accurate news coverage for a better-informed community. We are committed to dismantling violent gangs and holding their members accountable for criminal conduct., The FBI is proud to work alongside our local, state, and federal partners on the Violent Crimes Task Force to address the gang problem and rid our streets of the overflow of drugs and guns which continue to plague our communities, said FBI Special Agent in Charge Suzanne Turner. For firearms charges: Ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine. There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. Toll Free (800) 544-1106 Edgar Herrera Pardo oversaw a group of enforcers called Los Cabos who worked to secure the Baja California corridor for the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, according to prosecutors. According to an FBI search-warrant affidavit, at least nine of the 24 businesses raided belonged to one man, Long Ngoc Tran, 41, also known as Long Tu.. The defendants arrested today are expected to make their initial appearances this afternoon in the United States District Court in Riverside and downtown Los Angeles. Random Lengths News Operation 'Wipe Out:' Narcotics and Firearms Charges For 13 Defendants Named in Four Federal Indictments - The Los Angeles Harbor Area's Only Independently owned news magazine serving San Pedro, Wilmington, Carson, Lomita, Torrance, Long Beach, Rancho Palos Verdes and Harbor Gateway. Please reload the page and try again. A lock () or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Prosecutors said many of the defendants are either members or associates of gangs -- many of which have "longstanding ties to the Mexican Mafia" -- operating out of National City, San Ysidro and other areas. If you sell drugs in San Diego, we will find you and prosecute you to the full extent of the law.. A consumer advocacy group had sought emails, meeting schedules and other records after The San Diego Union-Tribune reported that the insurance commissioner had accepted political contributions from insurers and intervened in administrative cases to benefit some donors. Authorities also seized methamphetamine, heroin and firearms as part of the investigation. Many of the defendants are scheduled to be arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael Berg at 2 p.m. today and tomorrow. Also arrested were alleged drug dealers who operated within the dens. 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Maximum Penalties: For Maintaining Drug Involved Premises Charges: Five years imprisonment and a $500,000 fine. DEFENDANT Case Number: 21CR1406-DMS, DEFENDANT Case Number: 21CR1407-DMS, DEFENDANTS Case Number: 21CR1408-DMS. He was previously designated under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act for allegedly laundering money for top cartel leaders, including Joaquin "El Chapo'' Guzman Loera, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. Felon in Possession of a Firearm, in violation of Title 18, U.S.C., Secs. Harvey, 54, of Riverside, purchased methamphetamine from their suppliers in Mexico as well as Los Angeles and Riverside counties. They often spring up behind seemingly vacant storefronts in areas where retail has taken a downturn. Maximum Penalties: Importation of Methamphetamine Charges: life in prison with a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a $10 million fine. 841(a)(1)). Indictment Charges Eight Members of Alleged D.C. Drug Gang with Conspiracy January 12, 2023 Read More Press Release Riverside Man Caught with More Than 10 Grams of Fentanyl and Fentanyl Analogues. Prosecutors say the defendants used services like Signal and WhatsApp to communicate with each other in order to avoid law enforcement detection. FBI.gov is an official site of the U.S. Department of Justice. As a result of the collaboration of federal, state, and local law enforcement officials, law-abiding citizens who live in these neighborhoods will be safer without these magnets for crime in their midst.. California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, San Diego County District Attorneys Office, Southern District of California Sutton said that the lead defendant in the case, Reyes Espinoza, was the one with the alleged ties to the Sinaloa Cartel and was the main supplier and served as a conduit, the main source of supply for the meth ring, responsible for importing hundreds of pounds of methamphetamine into San Diego every week. "They're also supplying a deadly stream of methamphetamine and other deadly drugs. Christopher Alexis Gomez, 17, and Juan Suarez-Ojeda, 18, both U.S. citizens from San Diego, and Angel Said Robles, 17, of Tijuana were in a Tijuana apartment when a group of people burst in. Enter address: This website, like most media sites, uses small files called cookies to anonymously customize the advertising that you see. Importation of Methamphetamine (Title 21, U.S.C., Secs. Oct. 17, 2021 5:06 PM PT SAN DIEGO In a case prosecutors and defense attorneys agree "covers novel questions of fact and law," two Tijuana men have been indicted on drug-trafficking and. Federal Office Building Maximum Penalties: For Felon in Possession of Firearm Charge: Ten years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. The U.S. Attorney's office Grossman announced charges Tuesday afternoon against 60 alleged local members of a San Diego-based methamphetamine ring accused of working for a distribution network. "The defendants in this case used cars and motorcycles with hidden compartments, they used trains, commercial airlines, the U.S. mail and commercial delivery services like FedEx and UPS to deliver their deadly methamphetamine. The cartel was an early adopter of trafficking fentanyl into the U.S. as a cheaper, more reliable alternative to heroin and, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office, is also a prolific methamphetamine producer and chemical importer, using precursors procured from China and India.. "Together, these cities account for about 75% of all methamphetamine traffic within the United States.". Southern District of California SAN DIEGO, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) - A man from San Diego was indicted in a federal court after a search of his residence revealed his connection to illegal sales of firearms and possessing. Their friend, Said, lived in the Lomas Verdes neighborhood where the killings occurred. 841(a)(1)). Enter address: This website, like most media sites, uses small files called cookies to anonymously customize the advertising that you see. U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of California, Twenty-Three Gang Members Charged in Crackdown on South Bay Heroin, Methamphetamine and Firearms Traffickers, San Diego Resident Sentenced to 15 Years for His Role in Fatal Fentanyl Overdose, Defendant Sentenced to 10 Years in Case Featured on HBO Documentary The Crime of the Century, Mexican National Sentenced to 108 Months Following Record-Breaking Seizure of Fentanyl and Meth, Twenty Three Gang Members Charged In Crackdown On South Bay Heroin, Methamphetamine and Firearms Traffickers. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. Herrera is charged alongside alleged lieutenants Carlos Lorenzo Hinojosa Guerrero and Edgar Perez Villa in a superseding indictment returned by a San Diego federal grand jury in March 2020, part of a larger prosecution against 13 others. Numerous crimes have been linked to the illegal gambling operations, said SDPD Chief David Nisleit. The indictment charges 17 foreign nationals with distributing thousands of encrypted communication devices to criminal syndicates, advertising the devices as "designed by criminals for criminals." Of the 35 people arrested, 15 are part of the indicted group, and the others were arrests for state offenses. All rights reserved, $51.3M Erased From Overdue SDG&E Bills. SAN DIEGO Federal authorities unsealed indictments Thursday against 85 alleged members of East San Diego County drug distribution and money laundering networks linked to the Sinaloa Cartel, with more than half of the defendants currently in custody. San Diego, California 92101-8807, Telephone: (619) 557-5610 Get FBI email alerts "Distribution networks like this one are the arms of violent cartels, reaching out into our communities," Grossman said. Three of the indicted individuals were already in custody prior to the takedown. Federal Office Building Four men alleged to be leaders in a Mexican cartel enforcement cell have been indicted in San Diego on drug-trafficking charges and are accused of orchestrating a wave of violence in Tijuana, including the murders of two San Diego teenagers in 2018, according to federal prosecutors. We have taken down the illegal gambling dens, and we have lifted a weight off our neighborhoods, said Acting U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman. Lock Maximum Penalties: For Distribution of Methamphetamine Charge: Forty years imprisonment with a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a $5 million fine. He NEVER lets me be by myself. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. Supplying a deadly stream of methamphetamine ( Title 21, U.S.C., Sec FBI, together! Used services like Signal and WhatsApp to communicate with each other in order to avoid enforcement..., according to a U.S: 21CR1407-DMS, defendants Case Number: 21CR1414-DMS one of... 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