Thread: Agency Heads Announce Major Criminal Action Against Cartel

News Release [printer-friendly version]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 19, 2011
Contact: Special Agent Ramona Sanchez
Number: (602) 664-5725

Agency Heads Announce Major Criminal Action Against Cartel

Over 27,000 pounds of Marijuana and multiple weapons linked to drug smuggling organization

San Miguel Gate on the Tohono O' Odham Indian Reservation. Marijuana Bundles in Seized Load Vehicles. Residence in Choulic Village-Tohono O' Odham Indian Reservation.

MAY 19 - (TUCSON, AZ) -- DEA Acting Special Agent in Charge Doug Coleman, Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne, and Tohono O’Odham Nation Police Chief Joseph Delgado today announced the arrests of 27 of 46 suspected members of the Jesus Valencia Rodriguez drug trafficking organization, who work on behalf of the Mexican Sinaloa Cartel, on charges of Illegally Conducting an Enterprise, Conspiracy, Transportation of Marijuana for Sale; Money Laundering; Participating in a Criminal Syndicate; Smuggling of Human Beings; and Use of a Wire Communication or Electronic Communication in a Drug Related Transaction or to Facilitate the Violation of any Felony Provision. The remaining defendants are not being identified at this time because grand jury secrecy requires their names be withheld until they have been served.

Misc. Scout Related Photos Drug and Alien Smuggling Routes Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne; Acting SAC Doug Coleman, and Tohono O’Odham Nation Police Chief at press conference.

"DEA and our partners are committed to hitting traffickers who violate America's borders with coordinated, focused investigations and operations like the one we have announced today," said DEA Acting Special Agent in Charge Doug Coleman. "In Arizona and all across our nation's Southwest Border, DEA is determined to find them, shut down their operations, and bring them to justice."

FBI ASACAnnette Bartlett; State Assistant Prosecutor Kim Ortiz; Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne; Acting SAC Doug Coleman, and South Tucson Police Chief Richard Munoz at press conference.
Since 2008, Jesus Valencia Rodriguez has been identified as the Mexico-based gate keeper working for the Caborca-based Paez-Soto cell of the Sinaloa Cartel. Valencia-Rodriguez is responsible
for coordinating importation of multi-ton quantities of marijuana and illegal aliens from Mexico into the United States through the San Miguel Gate area and the smuggling of bulk drug proceeds and assault weapons back into Mexico. The San Miguel Gate area is a remote U.S./Mexico border location on the Tohono O’Odham Indian Reservation which allows tribal members to pass freely between the United States and Mexico. Law enforcement intelligence has linked over 150 drug seizures since May 2008 totaling approximately 28,000 pounds of marijuana to the Valencia-Rodriguez DTO. In February, 2010, law enforcement officials also seized 41 assault weapons in the San Miguel vicinity which were en-route from Phoenix, Arizona to Valencia-Rodriguez in Mexico. The Valencia-Rodriguez organization uses compartments in vehicles, ramped vehicle loads, concealed tire loads, and backpackers to facilitate drug transportation operations in the remote desert area.

“This operation has effectively dismantled the Arizona-based transportation and distribution cells of the Jesus Valencia Rodriguez organization,â€

Good work guys for yanking their butts our of our society. They will be roomates with Bubba and Bruno now. Hold on to that bar of soap!!

Sure Nobama and (D) won Canada USA And Mexico doing alike in europe doing and eliminate a border.How much traitor and corrupt are Democrat.
Only thing destroy USA.