Thread: CA-3 charged in $1 million meth bust in Garden Grove

Friday, July 25, 2008
3 charged in $1 million meth bust in Garden Grove
Three facing federal narcotics charges after being tailed from border with drugs in car bumper.
By KIMBERLY EDDS
The Orange County Register


SANTA ANA - Three men arrested at a Garden Grove apartment who officials say were repackaging $1 million worth of methamphetamine that they had just smuggled in from Mexico are facing federal narcotics charges after being indicted by a grand jury.

Armando Cerpas Gutierrez, 27, and Eladio Bucio Fajardo, 29, both of Guaracha-Michoacan, Mexico, and Jose Luis Escamilla, 48, of National City, California, are facing life without the possibility of parole if convicted on federal charges of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute.

The three men were arrested July 8 after agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement discovered 8.6 kilograms of meth in their car's bumper as it crossed into the United States at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry. But instead of arresting them at the border crossing, agents released the men, gave them back their car with the drugs in the bumper and sent them on their way – as agents tailed them from behind.

The men and the drugs ended up at Gutierrez' Garden Grove apartment, according to ICE spokeswoman Lori K. Haley.

With agents watching outside, the men unloaded the drugs from the bumper and took them into the apartment.

Armed with a search warrant, agents arrested the men as they were repackaging the drugs for sale. In addition to the apartment, federal agents also searched Gutierrez' garage and several vehicles and recovered $135,000 in cash, 11 cell phones and a vehicle.

"Methamphetamine is a vicious drug that destroys lives," said Robert Schoch, ICE special agent in charge in Los Angeles. "ICE is committed to preventing this highly dangerous drug from reaching the streets of our communities."

The three men are scheduled to be arraigned Monday.

Contact the writer: 714-796-7829 or kedds@ocregister.com




http://www.ocregister.com/articles/agen ... ral-bumper

So what happens to these guys? A: they get convicted and spend time in jail at taypayer expense. While there they can learn more ideas about how to safely operate. B: After their jail time they get deported, which means they will be back here within hours with another load of something.
Isn't there a war on drugs going on, and when you go to war you bring out the military? Why aren't there National Guard on the border instead of battling in Iraq?

Armando Cerpas Gutierrez, 27, and Eladio Bucio Fajardo, 29, both of Guaracha-Michoacan, Mexico, and Jose Luis Escamilla, 48, of National City, California, are facing life without the possibility of parole if convicted on federal charges of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute.

How were these upstanding citizens able to secure a visa which allowed them to travel back and forth between the US and Mexico, delivering their poison to this country!

Or were they anchor babies or a combination of both?