Archive 03 - 2017

ETX law enforcement arrests 3 involved in cartel pot fields; more arrests expected

Tuesday, March 7th 2017, 1:56 pm CDTTuesday, March 7th 2017, 6:28 pm CDTBy Francesca Washington, Multi-Media Journalist
and KLTV Digital Media Staff


Smith Co. September 2016 (Source: KLTV Staff)

Pineda, (left) and Ramirez (right)

Confiscated items (Source: Smith Co. Sheriff's Office)

SMITH COUNTY, TX (KLTV) -Smith County Sheriff Larry Smith says law enforcement officials have 13 warrants for persons involved in the growing of marijuana fields back in 2016.

Across East Texas, authorities tracked down fields in multiple counties including, Smith, Anderson, Henderson and Sabine.

Sheriff Smith stressed that landowners need to "walk their land," and pay attention to who is there or what might be going on there. He added that there was participation in the pot grows by "a couple" of the landowners, and said that there is a separate investigation on that crime underway.

A release from the Smith Co. Sheriff's Office stated:
This morning multiple local, state and federal law enforcement officers began arresting numerous Mexican Nationals who have been determined to be involved with numerous illicit marijuana grows in the East Texas area. Thirteen state arrest warrants were issued by 114th State District Judge Christi Kennedy with recommended bonds of $200,000 each excluding Eduardo Pineda and Benito Ramirez whose bonds are recommended at $400,000.

As of this time only three of the thirteen suspects have been located and arrested. Immigration Customs Enforcement ICE has also detained several other individuals who were present during the arrests made this morning.

Operation Joint Venture was initiated on July 28, 2015 in northeastern Smith County with the eradication of three illicit marijuana cultivation sites and the seizure of an estimated 22,000 marijuana plants. These seizures were initiated by the Smith County Sheriff’s Office, Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigation Division and the US Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration.

As a result of this investigation, several suspects connected to the abovementioned clandestine marijuana operation were identified. The investigation continued on this group based out of Tyler, Texas through December of 2016.

Eduardo Ramirez Pineda was identified as a leader within the local drug trafficking organization and was overseeing the daily operations of at least fifteen marijuana cultivation sites in East Texas. Pineda is considered a fugitive at this time, as well as Benito Duarte Ramirez.

These fifteen illicit marijuana cultivation sites were located in numerous counties within East Texas including Smith, Sabine, Houston, Harrison, Upshur, Morris, Anderson, Van Zandt and Henderson counties. Assistance was received from law enforcement within all of these counties.

Through investigative interviews, it was determined this organization is linked to the Los Zetas Cartel.

In all, from July of 2015 to November of 2016, approximately 77,000 individual marijuana plants were seized from fifteen sites. Utilizing DEA’s formula for estimating the quantity of marijuana that could have been produced from these plants it is estimated that approximately 169,400 pounds of marijuana would have been produced.

Estimating the cost per pound at $600, approximately $101,640,000 was disrupted from aiding illegal activities of Mexico based cartels.
Smith says the people they have warrants for are connected to all of these fields. He says deputies started executing these warrant at 4:00 a.m. Tuesday, and so far, three arrests have been made.
http://www.kltv.com/story/34687369/e...rests-expected