14 alleged Barrio Aztecas are arrested in drug case

By Adriana M. Chávez
El Paso Times
Posted: 05/16/2009 12:00:00 AM MDT

EL PASO --Fourteen alleged associates of Barrio Azteca, an El Paso-based gang known for money laundering, drug trafficking and violence, have been arrested on charges of trafficking cocaine.

Six people were arrested Friday morning at a home in the 11900 block of Jim Webb in Northeast El Paso, FBI Special Agent Andrea Simmons said. One of the suspects is a 68-year-old man with a street name of El Tio.

Another eight alleged associates, including the alleged leader of the ring, were already in custody at the time of the arrests.

Each faces charges relating to possession and trafficking of various amounts of cocaine, from 500 grams to 50 kilograms, throughout the El Paso area since June 2007, officials with the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

Arrested Friday were Elizabeth Vaquera, 23; Javier Soto, 31; Miguel Hernandez Reyna, Raul Castro and Alberto Provencio, all 29; and Lee Villegas-Marquez, 20.

Already in custody were alleged ring leader Gualberto Marquez, 34; Raul Cabral Godoy, 29; Jose Armando Montes, 40; Gerardo Reyna, 32; Paul Alvino Reyna, 31; Jaime Velasco-Perez, 43; Jaime Andrade Castrejon, 42, and Gilberto Sanchez-Porras, 68.

Federal officials are still looking for two men, Michael Torres, 22, and Felipe Jesus Davila, 22.

The arrests stemmed from an investigation by many federal and local law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, the DEA, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

If convicted, each suspect faces 10 years to life in a federal prison and a fine of up to $4 million.

Court papers detailing the alleged activities were not available Friday afternoon.

The group is to make its first federal court appearance at 11 a.m. Monday.

In April, five members of the Barrio Azteca gang were sentenced to life in prison, and an associate received 15 years, under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization, or RICO, law. The law was used by federal law enforcement agencies to target Barrio Azteca's military-style hierarchy, including leaders already in prison.

As of 2008, the prison-spawned gang had up to 3,000 members in prisons and on the streets of the Southwest and Mexico. The gang has been linked to drug shipments to the Midwest and the East Coast.

In Juárez, the gang goes by the name Aztecas and has gained notoriety for igniting riots at the Cereso prison, where the members struggle for power with the Mexicles, the largest prison gang in the state of Chihuahua.

Adriana M. Chávez may be reached at achavez@elpasotimes.com; 546-6117.

Times reporter Daniel Borunda contributed to this story.

http://www.elpasotimes.com/ci_12383235? ... ost_viewed