I.C.E. News Release

December 3, 2010

West Palm Beach, FLPalm Beach county man sentenced more than 27 years for drug trafficking

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Joseli Davila, 36, of Boynton Beach, Fla., was sentenced on Dec. 3 to 327 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for his participation in a drug trafficking conspiracy, following a multi-agency investigation and takedown that included the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

On Aug. 26, Davila pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine hydrochloride. The indictment charged 25 defendants with a total of 54-counts of narcotics trafficking in connection with their participation in a conspiracy to possess and distribute multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine. To date, 20 have pleaded guilty to various narcotics trafficking offenses. Five fugitives remain at large.

Among the 20 Florida defendants convicted and sentenced are:

Placido Martinez-Resendiz, 23, of West Palm Beach, sentenced to 188 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release;
Edgar Orosco, 24, of Lake Placid, sentenced to 168 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release;
Cesar Ramos Alvarado, 37, of West Palm Beach, sentenced to 135 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release;
Armando Resendiz, 28, of Lake Placid, sentenced to 120 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release;
Salvador Ramos Alvarado, 26, of Delray Beach, sentenced to 30 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release;
Angel Zavala Soto, 30,of Palm Beach Gardens, sentenced to 97 months in prison followed by three years of supervised released;
J Guadalupe Garcia-Landaverde, 38, of West Palm Beach, sentenced to 87 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release;
Gerardo Martinez, 23, of Lake Placid, sentenced to 18 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release;
Sulema Salcedo Chavez, 21, of Lake Placid, sentenced to time served followed by four years of supervised release;
Bladimir Lopez, 25, of West Palm Beach, sentenced to 262 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release;
Timothy Isaguirre, 30, of West Palm Beach, sentenced to 60 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release;
Jorge Herrera Luviano, 30, of Lake Worth, sentenced to 60 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release;
Alejandro Becerra, 23, of Lake Placid, sentenced to 70 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release;
Victor Olvera, 27, of Lake Placid, sentenced to 37 months followed by four years of supervised release; and
Gregory Rivera, 30, of Boynton Beach, sentenced to 41 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
This coordinated investigation and takedown conducted by the ICE HSI Miami Field Office, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Miami Field Division, Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office and the Highlands County Sheriff's Office was part of the Department of Justice's Southwest Border Strategy, announced in March 2009, which used federal prosecutor-led task forces that brought together federal, state and local law enforcement to identify, disrupt and dismantle the Mexican drug cartels through investigation, prosecution and extradition of their key leaders and facilitators, and the seizure and forfeiture of their assets.

Through continued joint cooperation at all levels of the U.S. and Mexican governments, ICE Homeland Security Investigations and the Department of Justice (DOJ) and its partners are actively working to stem the flow of illegal narcotics, weapons and bulk cash moving across the U.S.- Mexico border.

Operation Mexican Minute is a cooperative federal, state, and local law enforcement investigation, approved and funded by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a national DOJ program that supports investigations of significant multi-state and international drug trafficking organizations. This investigation in Florida has resulted in the seizure of powder cocaine and crack cocaine, including one seizure of 10 and another seizure of six kilograms of powder cocaine, the seizure of more than $150,000 in cash, four cars, and various firearms. According to information developed during the investigation, this group operated from Broward, Palm Beach, and Highlands counties in the Southern District of Florida, and Hendry County in the Middle District of Florida.

The Delray Police Department, the Boca Raton Police Department, the Hendry County Sheriff's Office and the U.S. Marshals Service assisted in this investigation.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer C. Millien.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is the largest investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security.

ICE is a 21st century law enforcement agency with broad responsibilities for a number of key homeland security priorities. For more information, visit www.ICE.gov. To report suspicious activity, call 1-866-347-2423.

U.S. Dept of Homeland Security

http://www.ice.gov/news/releases/1012/1 ... mbeach.htm