Thread: Today's arrest, seizures, bust etc. 7/11/12

Sinaloa cartel member captured in northern Mexico

Published July 11, 2012
EFE

An associate of Sinaloa drug cartel boss Joaquin "El Chapo" (Shorty) Guzman was arrested by the Chihuahua state police in Ciudad Juarez, a border city in northern Mexico, prosecutors told Efe.

Fernando Arellano Romero was captured on Monday night and without any shots being fired, a Chihuahua Attorney General's Office spokesman said.

Daniel Franco Lopez, another suspected drug trafficker, was arrested along with Arellano Romero in Ciudad Juarez, located across the Rio Grande from El Paso, Texas.

The two suspects were handed over to federal prosecutors, who will investigate their links to organized crime groups, the AG's office spokesman said.

Arellano Romero is wanted by U.S. authorities for crimes committed in Horizon City, Texas, Mexican media reported.

The federal Public Safety Secretariat said Monday that 424 "suspected criminals who belonged to the command structures of different criminal organizations" were arrested in the nearly 18 months that the Federal Police was in charge of law enforcement in Ciudad Juarez.

From April 5, 2010, to September 2011, the Federal Police arrested 335 Juarez drug cartel members and 89 Sinaloa cartel members in the border city, the secretariat said.

The Federal Police relieved the army of security and law enforcement duties in Ciudad Juarez, located across the Rio Grande from El Paso, Texas.

The Juarez cartel has been battling the Sinaloa cartel for control of smuggling routes from Ciudad Juarez into the United States.

The La Linea and Los Aztecas gangs, two of the most active criminal organizations in the border city, are on the payroll of the Juarez cartel.

The Sinaloa cartel, Mexico's most powerful drug trafficking organization, employs members of the Gente Nueva, Artistas Asesinos and Los Mexicles gangs as enforcers in Ciudad Juarez.

The Sinaloa organization, sometimes referred to by officials as the Pacific cartel, is the oldest drug cartel in Mexico and has an extensive drug distribution network in the United States.

Chapo Guzman, who was arrested in Guatemala in 1993 and pulled off a Hollywood-style jailbreak when he escaped from the Puente Grande maximum-security prison in the western state of Jalisco on Jan. 19, 2001, is considered the most powerful drug trafficker in the world.

Chapo Guzman tops the list of Mexico's 37 most-wanted criminals and is on the Forbes list of the world's richest people. EFE

Sinaloa cartel member captured in northern Mexico | Fox News Latino

U.S. Border Patrol Weekly Blotter, Blaine Sector June 28– July 4 (Friday, July 06, 2012) Blaine, Wash. – The information listed below is compiled from arrests and seizures related to the Customs and Border Protection U.S. Border Patrol in the Blaine Sector area of operations. For security reasons, this may not be a complete list of enforcement actions. 06/29/2012- During a vehicle stop north of Lynden, Washington, CBP Blaine Border Patrol agents encountered a subject that was determined to be a citizen of India who admitted to being in the United States illegally. The individual was placed under arrest and processed for removal. 06/30/2012- While on patrol, Port Angeles CBP U.S. Border Patrol agents encountered a subject who claimed to be a citizen of Cuba. The subject was not in possession of any immigration documents to validate his claim. The subject was taken to the CBP Port Angeles Border Patrol station for further investigation. At the station, it was determined that the subject was a citizen of Spainand was illegally present in the United States. The subject was processed for removal. 07/02/2012- Operators of a remote video surveillance system observed a subject cross the U.S./Canada border near Blaine, Washington. Blaine CBP U.S. Border Patrol agents responded to the area, conducted a search and encountered a subject who matched the description of the individual seen crossing in the border area. The individual, a citizen of India, admitted to being illegally present in the United States. The individual was placed under arrest and processed for removal. 07/03/2012- During a vehicle stop near the U.S./Canada border, north of Lynden, Washington, CBP U.S. Border Patrol agents encountered three subjects who were determined to be citizens of India. Allthree subjects admitted to having just crossed the border and to being present in the United States illegally. The three individuals were placed under arrest and processed for removal. U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.

Over $800,000 in Narcotics Seized by Nogales CBP Officers During Busy Weekend

(Monday, July 09, 2012)

Nogales, Ariz. — Five separate attempts to smuggle drugs through the Dennis DeConcini port of entry were derailed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers assigned to the Tucson Field Office.

On Friday, officers arrested Paul Cole Pineda, 41, of Nogales, Ariz., after an inspection of his Ford Expedition resulted in the discovery of nearly 61 pounds of cocaine hidden in a non-factory compartment in the vehicle’s gas tank. The drugs were valued at an estimated $552,500.

On Friday and Saturday, two Mexican nationals were apprehended in separate incidents for attempting to smuggle a combined 82 pounds of marijuana worth an estimated $40,000. The marijuana was hidden in one vehicle’s gas tank and inside a non-factory compartment in the other vehicle.

Saturday, officers apprehended a 33-year-old man from Nogales, Sonora, Mexico after an inspection of his Chevrolet SUV turned up 10 packages of cocaine weighing more than 13 pounds from the radiator area. The drugs were worth approximately $208,000.

A 15-year-old female from Nogales, Ariz., was taken into custody on Friday, when she attempted to enter the United States through a pedestrian lane with $10,000 worth of black tar heroin.

In all incidents, the narcotics and any involved vehicles were processed for seizure.

Individuals arrested may be charged by complaint, the method by which a person is charged with criminal activity, which raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent unless and until competent evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

CBP's Office of Field Operations is the primary organization within Homeland Security tasked with an anti-terrorism mission at our nation’s ports. CBP officers screen all people, vehicles and goods entering the United States while facilitating the flow of legitimate trade and travel. Their mission also includes carrying out border-related duties, including narcotics interdiction, enforcing immigration and trade laws, and protecting the nation's food supply and agriculture industry from pests and diseases.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.

Department of Homeland Security

Over $800,000 in Narcotics Seized by Nogales CBP Officers During Busy Weekend - CBP.gov

FBI E-Mail Updates

Fugitive from Washington, D.C. Area Wanted for International Parental Kidnapping July 11, 2012 - Washington Bloods Street Gang Members and Associates Arrested Following the Return of a 134-Count Federal RICO Indictment July 11, 2012 - Columbia Indictments Returned by Federal Grand Jury July 11, 2012 - Pittsburgh Denver Man Arrested for Producing and Possessing Child Pornography July 10, 2012 - Denver www.fbi.gov

Federal Agents Seize Airplane Tied to Gulf Cartel

Posted: Jul 10, 2012 11:29 PM Updated: Jul 11, 2012 6:38

BROWNSVILLE - Federal prosecutors have seized a $2,500,000 plane they say belonged to the former governor of Tamaulipas.

Federal court documents say the Gulf Cartel paid millions of dollars in bribes to former governor Tomas Jesus Yarrington-Ruvalcaba.

Homeland Security investigators say the cartel created a series of front companies to transfer assets into the United States. The plane was seized in Brownsville and taken to a government storage facility in Florida.

Lawyers for Yarrington-Rubalcaba says the plane does not belong to him and denies all claims in the complaint.

Federal Agents Seize Airplane Tied to Gulf Cartel | KRGV.com | CHANNEL 5 NEWS | Breaking News Breaking Stories

FBI E-Mail Updates

U.S. Citizen Federally Charged in New Jersey for Alleged Attempt to Board International Flight with Concealed Weapons July 11, 2012 - Newark Baltimore Man Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Distributing Child Pornography July 11, 2012 - Baltimore Former Chairman of Failed Western Springs Bank Pleads Guilty to Concealing Personal Interest in Loans from U.S. Regulators July 11, 2012 - Chicago Ruidoso Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Child Pornography Charge July 10, 2012 - Albuquerque www.fbi.gov

Almost $400,000 found in car at El Paso border

By Aaron Bracamontes / El Paso Timeselpasotimes.com
Posted: 07/11/2012 08:58:29 AM MDT


Almost $400,000 was found in a car at the El Paso border.
(Courtesy of U.S. Customs and Border Protection)

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers and U.S. Border Patrol agents found nearly $400,000 inside a vehicle attempting to cross into Mexico on Monday at the Ysleta international crossing.

The money was found by a drug sniffing dog named 'Krog' in a 2001 Ford Explorer at about 12:30 p.m.

The Explorer was going south when the driver was selected for a preliminary interview. 'Krog' alerted officers and agents, which found a hidden compartment in the rear floor area of the vehicle.

In the compartment they found and seized 20 bundles containing $398,700.

Officers then arrested Raymundo Alfredo Hernandez, 31, on suspicion of attempted smuggling.
Hernandez, an U.S. citizen who lives in Juárez, was booked into El Paso County Jail where he is being held with no bond.

Aaron Bracamontes may be reached at abracamontes@elpasotimes.com; 546-6156. Follow him on Twitter @AaronBrac.

Almost $400,000 found in car at El Paso border - El Paso Times

I.C.E.News Release

July 11, 2012
Mobile, AL
Texas drug trafficker sentenced to life in prison

MOBILE, Ala. – A Texas man was sentenced to life in prison Tuesday for his participation in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine in Alabama, following an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Mobile County Sheriff's Office.

Frank James Abston, 40, of Houston, Texas, was sentenced to life imprisonment in federal court after he entered a guilty plea to the charges in November 2011. Judge Callie V. S. Granade imposed the life sentence after conducting a hearing to determine the advisory guideline range applicable to Abston's case. Six witnesses testified to their extensive drug transactions with Abston, who was characterized as a major supplier of cocaine and crack cocaine in Mobile County.

"With Mr. Abston's previous criminal history, he should have known that severe consequences were in store for him should he continue to violate the law," said Raymond R. Parmer Jr., special agent in charge of HSI New Orleans. "HSI has had no better partners than the Mobile County Sheriff's Office and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Alabama in identifying and arresting significant drug traffickers in our area of operations. This significant sentence should put Mr. Abston's former colleagues on notice that they will either reform their ways or share his fate." Parmer oversees HSI activities in Alabama, Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee.

According to the testimony, most of the drug transactions occurred in south Mobile County, in the Grand Bay area. Abston's co-defendant, Walter Lee Hodges, testified that Abston hired him to transport cocaine on the bus two days before they were arrested by Mobile County sheriff's deputies. Hodges testified that he and Abston's girlfriend each brought a kilogram of cocaine on the bus from Houston to Mobile. When they were stopped in a vehicle off Interstate 10 in Mobile, they had approximately 500 grams of cocaine in the car. Hodges testified that Abston sold the rest of the cocaine the night they arrived and the next morning.

Abston testified at the hearing in his own behalf, and he claimed that he was only minimally involved in selling drugs and that his former defense attorney misled him about the terms of his guilty plea. After the testimony was concluded, Judge Granade found that Abston occupied a position of leadership in the conspiracy, that he was accountable for at least 127 kilograms of cocaine and 1.4 kilograms of crack cocaine (both figures she characterized as very conservative), and that Abston was not entitled to any mitigation in the guideline calculations because he had not been truthful in his testimony before the court. Judge Granade found that his advisory guideline range was life imprisonment, and that because of his prior drug convictions, the federal enhancement statute also called for a life sentence.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Gloria Bedwell.

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 or complete our tip form.

• U.S. Dept of Homeland Security

Texas drug trafficker sentenced to life in prison

FBI E-Mail Updates

Swanzey Man Sentenced for Bank Robbery July 11, 2012 - Boston Mt. Carmel Man Indicted for Child Pornography Offenses July 11, 2012 - Springfield Atlantic City Man Admits Role in Heroin Distribution Conspiracy July 11, 2012 - Newark Wilmington Man Sentenced on Child Pornography Charge July 11, 2012 - Charlotte Two Charged for Medicare Fraud Schemes in Detroit Involving $8.8 Million in False Billings July 11, 2012 - Detroit Saleem Abdul Rasheed Sentenced for Food Stamp Fraud and Filing False Immigration Documents July 11, 2012 - Birmingham Waterbury Attorney Admits Participating in $10 Million Mortgage Fraud Scheme July 11, 2012 - New Haven Owner of Insulation Service Company Pleads Guilty to Million-Dollar Bid-Rigging and Fraud Conspiracies at New York City Hospital July 11, 2012 - New York Former Ho-Chunk Nation Legislator Sentenced in Bribery Case to Five Years in Federal Prison July 11, 2012 - Milwaukee Missing Georgia Bank Director Indicted for Bank Fraud July 11, 2012 - Atlanta www.fbi.gov

Local News for U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Border Patrol Seizes 226 Pounds of Marijuana
07/11/2012 05:46 PM EDT
Yuma, Ariz. - U.S. Border Patrol agents from Yuma Sector's Wellton Station seized approximately 226 pounds of marijuana Friday worth $113,000.Agents patrolling 15 miles southwest of Gila Bend discovered footprints created by a group of individuals traveling on foot through the desert. (more)

Significant Marijuana Seizure at Santa Teresa Port
07/11/2012 05:46 PM EDT
Santa Teresa, N.M. - U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers working at the Santa Teresa port of entry made a large drug seizure on Saturday. They seized 319 pounds of marijuana concealed in a 2001 Chevrolet Silverado. The seizure was made at approximately 8:30 a. (more)

CBP Seizes Almost $400,000 in Smuggled Currency at El Paso Port
07/11/2012 05:46 PM EDT
El Paso, Texas - U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers and U.S. Border Patrol agents working at the El Paso port of entry seized $398,700 Monday afternoon. The money was discovered hidden in a vehicle that was leaving the U.S. at the Ysleta international crossing at the El Paso port of entry. (more)

Yuma Border Patrol Agents Seize $33,000 in Heroin, $12,000 in Marijuana at Checkpoint
07/11/2012 05:46 PM EDT
Yuma, Ariz. - Border Patrol agents from Yuma Sector's Wellton Station seized 2.5 pounds of black tar heroin and nearly 25 pounds of marijuana at a Border Patrol checkpoint yesterday.Agents assigned to the Interstate 8 checkpoint at mile marker 17 referred a 4-door sedan to secondary inspection following a canine team alert. (more)

www.ice.gov