County men charged in smuggling ring

By Ashley Meeks ameeks@lcsun-news.com
Posted: 01/15/2011 12:57:55 AM MST

LAS CRUCES - Two Do-a Ana County men are among 13 co-defendants charged in a federal conspiracy to use tractor-trailers to run huge quantities of drugs, weapons and money between Mexico and Colorado, according to a federal indictment released this week.

The lead defendant in the case, Manuel Mendias-Medina, is scheduled to be sentenced in the next few weeks, the U.S. Attorney's Office said Friday.

Over nearly two years, more than 1,000 kilograms of marijuana was stored in "stash houses" in Mesquite, Santa Teresa and El Paso before being taken by tractor-trailer and flatbed trailer to Albuquerque and Denver, the indictment alleges.

Of the dozen drug-trafficking crimes outlined in the indictment, 10 are alleged to have taken place in Do-a Ana County.

The houses alleged to be used for the storage of marijuana until it could be transported were located on Sanderling Trail in Santa Teresa and on Hilda Road in Mesquite, according to the indictment.

Donnell "DJ" James allegedly tended the Santa Teresa home and, later, one in El Paso, while Daniel "Pelon" Baez allegedly stayed in the Mesquite home.

On one occasion, May 20, 2008, Baez had about 500 kilograms of marijuana in the Hilda Road home, awaiting a trip via tractor-trailer to Albuquerque, according to the indictment. The next month, Baez is alleged to have had another 142 kilograms of marijuana - destined for Albuquerque, and then Aurora, Colo. - at the Hilda Road home. And in July 2008, the Mesquite home was used again as a pick-up point for another load of marijuana.
Las Cruces is named as the hub from which the organization allegedly arranged for eight loads of marijuana, totaling more than 3,600 kilograms, to be transported to Albuquerque over six months in 2007 and 2008.

After deliveries in Albuquerque and Denver, confidential sources told authorities that drug proceeds would be transported to El Paso or Mexico; one such transaction resulted in $25,000 in cash, according to the indictment. Another, on June 18, 2008, allegedly involved a confidential source paying Portillo more than $50,000, destined for Mexico. Two months later, another $21,000 in drug proceeds changed hands and was delivered to El Paso.

But it wasn't just cash accepted in exchange for the Mexican marijuana: an SKS rifle and a Cobra .380 handgun were allegedly given to one confidential informant. Other guns were kept with the marijuana: at two different times in 2008, Baez was allegedly in possession of a loaded Charles Daly .45 caliber pistol, a loaded AK-47 and 51 kilograms of marijuana at the Mesquite home, according to the indictment.

One of the tractor-trailers was finally seized in Do-a Ana County by law enforcement on July 24, 2008; the men bought a new flatbed trailer a week later, in Horizon City, Texas, and brought it to Las Cruces. It was allegedly loaded with marijuana in Mesquite and driven to Albuquerque. But by early August, law enforcement had already been conducting surveillance on the men's meetings. Cruz-Perez was stopped and arrested in possession of 80 kilograms of marijuana.

On Tuesday, 29-year-old Emmanuel "Caralampio" Martinez, of Albuquerque, was sentenced to five years in prison for his part in the scheme. The two men who allegedly managed the Do-a Ana County stash houses, James and Baez, have not yet been sentenced.

Also arrested and charged in the drug-trafficking conspiracy are Manuel "Manny" Esteban Mendias-Medina, aka Andres Nu-ez; Amador "Mickey" Martinez; Derrick Othole; Jose Ramon "Mon" Felix-Duarte, aka Efren Armando Duarte-Torres; Osman Emiliano Garcia, aka Luis Alberto Martinez-Cruz; Francisco "Chiapaneco" Javier Portillo; Barney Jesus Perez; Carlos Rafael Caro-Lujan; and Crystal and Michael Lira.

The case, prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah M. Davenport, was investigated by the Do-a Ana Sheriff's Office, New Mexico State Police, the New Mexico Department of Public Safety's Motor Transportation Division and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Ashley Meeks can be reached at (575) 541-5462.

http://www.lcsun-news.com/las_cruces-news/ci_17103477