Results 1 to 2 of 2

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

  1. #1
    Senior Member JohnDoe2's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    PARADISE (San Diego)
    Posts
    99,040

    18 arrested in Silicon Valley in probe of drug ring with ties to Mexican cartel

    Prosecutors: 18 arrested in Silicon Valley in probe of drug ring with ties to Mexican cartel

    THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
    April 24, 2014 - 6:01 pm EDT

    SAN JOSE, California — Prosecutors in Silicon Valley say authorities have arrested 18 people and seized methamphetamine, cocaine and drug labs as part of an investigation into a major drug distribution ring with ties to a Mexican cartel.

    The Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office announced the arrests and seizures on Thursday. Prosecutors say the investigation was conducted in conjunction with the U.S.

    Drug Enforcement Administration and began with the arrest of a low-level drug dealer in 2012.


    They say it led to a drug lab in Elk Grove that was manufacturing millions of dollars of methamphetamine each month and also turned up marijuana, weapons and laundered cash.


    Among those arrested was Esdras Avila Carrillo, of San Jose, who prosecutors say is believed to be a high-ranking member of the Mexican drug cartel connected to the operation. They did not name the cartel.


    http://www.therepublic.com/view/stor...ug-Cartel-Bust
    NO AMNESTY

    Don't reward the criminal actions of millions of illegal aliens by giving them citizenship.


    Sign in and post comments here.

    Please support our fight against illegal immigration by joining ALIPAC's email alerts here https://eepurl.com/cktGTn

  2. #2
    Super Moderator Newmexican's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2005
    Location
    Heart of Dixie
    Posts
    36,012
    San Jose: Meth bust leads to arrest of suspected key cartel operative, clandestine lab

    By Eric Kurhi
    04/24/2014 05:58:49 PM PDT


    SAN JOSE -- The arrest of a minor league drug runner in 2012 started an investigative chain that came to a head this week with the arrests of 18 suspects believed to be linked to a major Mexican cartel as well as the seizure of a high-production meth lab.

    The joint investigation by the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office and U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency was nicknamed "Operation Five Degrees" in reference to the multiple layers of the drug distribution organization, starting with local dealers and leading up to key cartel operatives with direct ties to Mexico.

    Prosecutor Patrick Vanier said the investigation started with a midlevel criminal moving "about a pound or so every month" and led to the capture of a suspected high-ranking cartel member behind millions of dollars in illegal drug trade.

    Vanier said when police served a high-risk warrant at the San Jose home of Esdras Avila "Blanco" Carrillo, he tried to snatch an officer's gun while being arrested. Carrillo was booked into Santa Clara County Main Jail on Wednesday, where he remains without bail.

    In addition to the arrests, investigators said they discovered the methamphetamine facility -- a lab at a rural farm in Sacramento County code-named "The Store" that refined raw meth sent in from Mexico.

    Vanier said the remote Elk Grove lab was the "perfect location for a clandestine meth conversion operation."
    "The individuals were refining 50-pound quantities at a time, $500,000 per shipment," Vanier said. "They were doing this every couple of weeks."

    Vanier said the meth is turned into its finished crystal form closer to the end of the distribution process to avoid potentially crushing the drug and making it less aesthetically appealing.

    Investigators also found a lab producing concentrated cannabis and various street-ready drugs, including meth, heroin, cocaine and marijuana as well as weapons and thousands of dollars in laundered cash.

    "Mexican cartels are using Silicon Valley as a major artery for the flow of illegal drugs," said District Attorney Jeff Rosen in a news release.

    He said prosecutors are working with law enforcement agencies to "cut off this toxic flood."

    "We will track, arrest and prosecute to the fullest extent of the law those who traffic narcotics in our community," Rosen said.

    No additional details of the 2012 arrest that led to the larger bust were available and authorities did not specify what cartel is believed to be involved.

    However, lead DEA agent Jay Fitzpatrick said the organization "distributed a variety of controlled substances throughout the South Bay and beyond."

    Suspects will be arraigned this week, with many facing more than 20 years in prison for charges related to transportation, possession and manufacture of drugs as well as firearms violations. Many have prior convictions and have served decades behind bars, Vanier said.

    http://www.timesheraldonline.com/new...t-leads-arrest

    04-24-2014-Esdras-Avila-Carrillo.jpg

    Among those arrested was Esdras Avila Carrillo, of San Jose, who prosecutors say is believed to be a high-ranking member of the Mexican drug cartel connected to the operation.
    http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/Silicon-Valley-Drug-Ring-with-Alleged-Ties-to-Mexican-Cartel-Busted-256618991.html

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •