34 FACE CHARGES RELATED TO TRAFFICKING METH ON MESCALERO APACHE RESERVATION

FROM:  U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT 

Monday, December 14, 2015

34 Individuals Facing Federal and Tribal Charges Relating to Methamphetamine Trafficking on the Mescalero Apache Reservation

Thirty-four individuals are facing federal and tribal drug charges as the result of an 18-month multi-agency investigation spearheaded by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) into methamphetamine trafficking on the Mescalero Apache Reservation.  Eighteen defendants, including five members of the Mescalero Apache Tribe and 13 non-Natives are charged in six indictments and a criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico in November and December 2015.  Sixteen other members of the Mescalero Apache Tribe are charged in tribal criminal complaints approved by the Mescalero Apache Tribal Court.

The investigation leading to the federal and tribal charges was initiated in May 2014 in response to an increase in violent crime on the Mescalero Apache Reservation perpetrated by methamphetamine users.  The investigation initially targeted a drug trafficking organization allegedly led by Lorenzo Saenz, a member of the Mescalero Apache Tribe, which distributed methamphetamine within the Reservation.  It later expanded to include two other drug trafficking organizations in southern New Mexico that allegedly served as sources of supply for the methamphetamine distributed within the reservation.

In August 2014, the investigation was designated as part of the Justice Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program, which combines the resources and unique expertise of federal agencies, along with their local counterparts, in a coordinated effort to disrupt and dismantle major drug trafficking organizations.  The investigation is one of the first OCDETF investigations to utilize electronic surveillance (wiretaps) in Indian Country.  More than ten kilograms of methamphetamine were seized during the course of the investigation.

“Methamphetamine has a disproportionate devastating impact on tribal communities, accounting for up to 40 percent of violent crime on reservations,” said U.S. Attorney Damon P. Martinez of the District of New Mexico.  “This investigation is an example of the Justice Department’s commitment to working with Tribal Governments to improve the safety of Native communities and increase awareness of the dangers of methamphetamine use.”

“I want to thank the BIA’s Division of Drug Enforcement and Office of Justice Services, the DEA and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the many, many hours they put forth during this investigation,” said President Danny Breuninger of the Mescalero Apache Tribe.  “Before and since taking Office as the President of the Mescalero Apache Tribe, I heard complaints from our Tribal Members and saw the pain and suffering caused by illegal drug use and sales on our Reservation.  Many of our young people are being poisoned by methamphetamine and lives are being shattered by senseless drug-related injuries and deaths.  As the leader of my Tribe, it is my job to do all I can to preserve the safety and welfare of our people and to preserve our culture, traditions and customs.  The great majority of our Tribal Members are great people who work hard every day to support their families and raise their children with the values and traditions that have been passed down generation after generation.  But continuing to do this is very hard when our Tribal Members’ lives are being torn apart by illegal drug use.  I call on the federal government, including the President, the Attorney General and Congress, to continue supporting and working with BIA and tribal police departments in these types of collaborative efforts throughout Indian Country.  Thank you again for all of the support and dedication in serving the Mescalero Apache Tribe.”

Saenz and four other members of the Mescalero Apache Tribe are charged in four federal indictments with distributing methamphetamine within the Mescalero Apache Reservation.  Saenz and a co-defendant are alleged to have participated in a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy during which they sold methamphetamine to undercover agents on multiple occasions.  Saenz was one of two federal defendants arrested on Dec. 11, when 13 of the 16 tribal defendants were also arrested.  A third federal Mescalero Apache defendant is in state custody on unrelated charges and the remaining two have yet to be arrested.  

Thirteen non-Natives, alleged members of two drug trafficking organizations that supplied the methamphetamine distributed within the Mescalero Apache Reservation, are charged in two other federal indictments and a federal criminal complaint.  Eight of the non-Natives are charged with methamphetamine trafficking and money laundering offenses in a 24-count indictment; three are charged with methamphetamine trafficking offenses in a five-count indictment; and two are charged with methamphetamine trafficking offenses in a criminal complaint.  Eight of the non-Natives have been arrested, two are in state custody on unrelated charges and three have yet to be arrested.

“The DEA and Bureau of Indian Affairs dismantled three drug trafficking organizations distributing methamphetamine on the Mescalero Apache Reservation and across southeastern New Mexico,” said Special Agent in Charge Will R. Glaspy of the DEA’s El Paso Division. “This is our warning to others who think they can hide their crimes on Tribal Lands:  we are coming for you.”

“The BIA would like to thank the DEA and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for an outstanding collaborative effort that shows the resolve of our law enforcement partners to address the issue of illicit drug use in Indian Country and their dedication to provide safe communities for Indian people,” said Special Agent in Charge William McClure of District IV of BIA’s Office of Justice Services.  “The many hours and resources that went in to this operation have increased the safety of tribal community members and reduced their fear of the danger posed by these individuals charged and their associates.”

“Methamphetamine continues to have a devastating effect on Native American families and communities throughout Indian Country,” said Regional Agent in Charge Gary Cunningham of BIA’s Division of Drug Enforcement.  “The results of this multi-agency investigation are a great example of what can be accomplished when the Bureau of Indian Affairs and other federal, state and local law enforcement agencies combine efforts and resources to remove these drug trafficking organizations from our communities.  Indian Country is grateful for these partnerships and BIA will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to aggressively remove these negative elements from our communities.”

The federal and tribal cases were investigated by the Las Cruces office of the DEA, District IV of the BIA’s Office of Justice Services (Mescalero Agency), BIA’s Division of Drug Enforcement, Mescalero Tribal Police Department, Hatch Police Department, FBI and Lea County Drug Task Force.

The following additional agencies assisted the investigating agencies with law enforcement operations on Nov. 20 and Dec. 11:  U.S. Marshals Service, Homeland Security Investigations, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Border Patrol, New Mexico State Police, HIDTA Interagency Metro Narcotics, New Mexico National Guard, Chaves County Metro Narcotics Task Force, Pecos Valley Drug Task Force, Alamogordo Police Department, Ruidoso Police Department, Socorro Police Department Sunland Park Police Department and Tularosa Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Terri J. Abernathy of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office is prosecuting the federal cases and Mescalero Tribal Prosecutor Alta Braham is prosecuting the tribal cases.

Charges in indictments and criminal complaints are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

COLOMBIAN NATIONAL RECEIVES PRISON TERM FOR ROLE IN DRUG MONEY LAUNDERING SCHEME

FROM:  U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT 

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Colombian National Sentenced to 63 Months for Conspiring to Launder Drug Trafficking Proceeds

A Colombian national was sentenced today to 63 months in prison for conspiring to launder drug trafficking proceeds, announced Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Acting Administrator Chuck Rosenberg of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

Tito Miller Parra-Isaza, 45, pleaded guilty on May 26, 2015.  U.S. District Judge Ed Kinkeade of the Northern District of Texas imposed the sentence.

According to a factual stipulation filed in connection with his guilty plea, Parra-Isaza coordinated the deposit of bulk cash, which he knew to be the proceeds of drug trafficking, into financial institutions in Mexico and elsewhere.  The bulk cash was later wire transferred into bank accounts in Dallas and then transported to Panama and elsewhere for distribution to individuals involved in drug trafficking.

Four other defendants previously pleaded guilty.  Of the remaining charged defendants, three are fugitives and one is deceased.

This case is being investigated by the DEA.  This case is being prosecuted by Senior Trial Attorney Mark Irish and Trial Attorney Nicole Grosnoff of the Criminal Division’s Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section.  The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs also has provided substantial assistance.

POLICE OFFICER PLEADS GUILTY TO RECEIVING SEX FOR FAVORABLE SENTENCE RECOMMENDATION

FROM:  U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT 

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Salem, Virginia Police Officer Pleads Guilty to Bribery

Admits to Soliciting Sexual Favors in Exchange for Potential Lenient Treatment

A police officer employed by the City of Salem, Virginia, and assigned to a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) task force pleaded guilty today for soliciting and receiving sexual favors from a cooperating defendant in exchange for agreeing to recommend a favorable sentence to a federal prosecutor on the defendant’s behalf.

Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Special Agent in Charge Adam S. Lee of the FBI’s Richmond Division and Special Agent in Charge Michael Tompkins of the  Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General’s Washington Field Office made the announcement.

“Kevin Moore took a solemn oath to protect and serve the public, but then abused the authority of his badge by sexually exploiting a federal witness,” said Assistant Attorney General Caldwell.  “When Moore crossed the line from enforcing the law to breaking it, his actions cast an unfortunate shadow over the selfless and courageous work of his fellow officers.  Working with our law enforcement partners, the Department of Justice will expose and prosecute all such abuses of authority, in order to restore and maintain the public’s trust.”

“Cases involving corruption of law enforcement officials are among the FBI’s highest priority criminal investigations.  The public should expect integrity from those sworn to uphold the law.  Mr. Moore’s breach of his sworn duty in this case is particularly pernicious as he exploited his victims in the most personal way. The Richmond Division of the FBI continues to have confidence in the City of Salem Police Department.  We value our partnership with the Department and the proud men and women who serve their community with distinction everyday,” said Special Agent in Charge Lee.

“The OIG will aggressively investigate with its law enforcement partners allegations of misconduct among Department employees, contractors, and deputized task force officers to help ensure the Department of Justice performs its critical work with integrity,” said Special Agent in Charge Tompkins.

Kevin C. Moore, 42, of Roanoke, Virginia, was a Salem Police Department officer and was assigned to the DEA task force in Roanoke, Virginia.  According to his plea agreement and accompanying statement of facts, between June and September 2014,  Moore informed a female cooperating defendant that he was in a position to help her with her pending federal methamphetamine trafficking case.  In August 2014, for example, in a series of text messages with the cooperating defendant, Moore made clear that he could recommend a favorable sentence to the prosecutor on the cooperating defendant’s behalf in exchange for sexual favors.  Moore then convinced the cooperating defendant to go for a ride in his official vehicle where she performed a sexual act with Moore.

As part of his guilty plea, Moore admitted to engaging in similar conduct with two other female cooperating witnesses in federal drug investigations dating back to 2009.  According to the statement of facts, Moore falsely informed these witnesses that he had convinced federal prosecutors not to charge them with federal criminal offenses that would carry significant prison sentences.  Moore then solicited and received sexual favors from the witnesses in exchange for his purported assistance.

Moore pleaded guilty to a one-count information charging him with bribery before Chief U.S. District Judge Glen E. Conrad of the Western District of Virginia.  In cooperation with the City of Salem Police Department and DEA, Moore was arrested on Oct. 10, 2014, without incident, after being charged by complaint, and was suspended from the police department and DEA task force the same day.  His sentencing is scheduled for February 9, 2015.

This case was investigated by the FBI and the  Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General, and is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Charles R. Walsh and Robert J. Heberle of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section.

COLOMBIAN NARCOTICS TRAFFICKER SENTENCED TO 25 YEARS INT PRISON

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE 

Monday, August 5, 2013
Major Colombian Narcotics Trafficker Sentenced in Washington, D.C., to 25 Years in Prison for Drug Trafficking

Christian Fernando Borda, a major narcotics trafficker aligned with paramilitary groups in Colombia, was sentenced today to serve 25 years in prison for conspiring to import ton-quantities of cocaine into the United States, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Administrator Michele M. Leonhart of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

Borda, 49, aka “Tony,” was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Gladys Kessler in the District of Columbia.  Borda’s sentence included a mandatory minimum prison term of 20 years due to his 1998 conviction in the Southern District of Florida for possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine.  In addition to his prison term, Borda was sentenced to serve 10 years of supervised release and ordered to pay a fine of $6.5 million.

“Christian Borda will spend 25 years in prison for leading a massive international drug trafficking operation that conspired to move vast quantities of cocaine into the United States,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Raman.  “The substantial prison term secured against Borda would not have been possible without the extensive cooperation between law enforcement in the U.S. and abroad, and it demonstrates our commitment to holding drug traffickers accountable for their crimes.”

“Our relentless pursuit of justice alongside our Colombian partners has ensured Christian Fernando Borda will be punished for his criminal activities,” said DEA Administrator Leonhart. “For years, Borda operated a massive drug trafficking and money laundering enterprise, which facilitated the AUC’s terrorist activities.  This successful investigation demonstrates the strong will and skill of the United States and Colombian governments to rid the world of the most dangerous and ruthless drug traffickers and facilitators.”

Following a trial that lasted almost seven weeks, Borda was convicted by a federal jury on Dec. 9, 2010, of one count of conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, knowing and intending that the substances would be unlawfully imported into the United States.

Borda, a Colombian national, led a major international narcotics trafficking organization based in Colombia that transported ton-quantities of cocaine from Colombia to the United States and elsewhere via Mexico.  As the leader of this drug trafficking group, Borda obtained large amounts of cocaine from Colombian sources and directed others who took part in the drug trafficking activities.  One of their shipments of cocaine in 2005 involved approximately 1,500 kilograms that were smuggled in a containerized shipment of drums of palm oil on a vessel departing from the north coast of Colombia.

The evidence further showed that Borda conspired with others to distribute tons of cocaine in Colombia, Mexico and elsewhere, with the knowledge and intent that the cocaine would be imported into the United States.

Borda was one of seven defendants charged with drug trafficking offenses in an indictment filed on March 16, 2007.  He was extradited to the United States from Colombia in October 2009 and was ordered detained in federal custody pending trial.

Borda’s co-defendant, Alvaro Alvaran-Velez, is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 3, 2013, before U.S. District Judge Gladys Kessler in the District of Columbia.

The case was prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Paul W. Laymon and Robert J. Raymond of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section, and Charles D. Griffith Jr., now of the Criminal Division’s Office of Enforcement Operations.  The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in the provisional arrest and extradition of Borda, and the Criminal Division’s Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section provided assistance at sentencing.  The investigation in this case was initiated by the DEA Miami Field Division in approximately 2004.  The DEA Houston Field Division conducted a related investigation.  Both investigations were conducted with assistance by the DEA's county offices in Cartagena and Bogota, Colombia, Mexico City and Guadalajara, Mexico.  The U.S. Coast Guard provided valuable investigative assistance.  The investigation also involved unprecedented cooperation from the Colombian National Police and the Colombian Fiscalia.

SINALOA CARTEL LEADER'S ASSOCIATES, BUSINESSES TARGETED BY TREASURY

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TREASURY 
Action Targets Supporters and Businesses Linked to Sinaloa Boss Ismael Zambada Garcia

 WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of the Treasury today designated three individuals and three entities linked to Ismael Zambada Garcia, one of the principal leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel.  Those designated include Jose Antonio Nunez Bedoya, a Mexican attorney and notary public who helps to create front companies in order to conceal and launder assets on behalf of Zambada Garcia, members of Zambada Garcia’s family, and other members of the Sinaloa Cartel.  Nunez Bedoya incorporated Estancia Infantil Nino Feliz and Establo Puerto Rico on behalf of Zambada Garcia, and he notarized real estate purchases on behalf of Santa Monica Dairy, all of which were previously designated by the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) in May 2007.  Additionally, Nunez Bedoya notarized real estate purchases on behalf of Sinaloa Cartel leader Joaquin Guzman Loera and his wife, Griselda Lopez Perez, whom OFAC designated in September 2012.

“Treasury will continue to target and disrupt financial operations linked to the Sinaloa Cartel by taking action against any facilitators, legal or financial professionals, or businesses that are laundering their narcotics proceeds,” said OFAC Director Adam J. Szubin.

The cash-intensive businesses designated by OFAC today were Parque Acuatico Los Cascabeles, a Sinaloa-based water park, Centro Comercial y Habitacional Lomas, a shopping mall in Culiacan, and Rancho Agricola Ganadero Los Mezquites, a cattle ranch in Sinaloa.  Nunez Bedoya incorporated and notarized all three businesses on behalf of Zambada Garcia.

Also designated today were Tomasa Garcia Rios and Monica Janeth Verdugo Garcia, wife and daughter of deceased narcotics trafficker Jose Lamberto Verdugo Calderon.  Verdugo Calderon, who was killed by the Mexican military in January 2009, was widely identified by U.S. and Mexican authorities as a major financial operative and lieutenant for Zambada Garcia.  Tomasa Garcia Rios and Monica Janeth Verdugo Garcia own Rancho Agricola Ganadero Los Mezquites and Parque Acuatico Los Cascabeles.

Today’s action would not have been possible without critical support from the Drug Enforcement Administration.

“The Sinaloa Cartel cannot hide behind front companies like a water park or agricultural business,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Doug Coleman.  “We are working with OFAC to expose these traffickers’ front companies for what they really are – illegal enterprises that fuel the drug trade, its violence and corruption.  As we continue to follow the money trail, we starve these traffickers of their assets and eventually put their global criminal networks out of business.”

Today’s action, pursuant to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act (Kingpin Act), generally prohibits U.S. persons from conducting financial or commercial transactions with these designees and also freezes any assets they may have under U.S. jurisdiction.  The President named Ismael Zambada Garcia and the Sinaloa Cartel as significant foreign narcotics traffickers pursuant to the Kingpin Act in May 2002 and April 2009, respectively.

Internationally, OFAC has designated more than 1,300 businesses and individuals linked to 103 drug kingpins since June 2000.  Penalties for violations of the Kingpin Act range from civil penalties of up to $1.075 million per violation to more severe criminal penalties.  Criminal penalties for corporate officers may include up to 30 years in prison and fines up to $5 million. Criminal fines for corporations may reach $10 million.  Other individuals could face up to 10 years in prison and fines pursuant to Title 18 of the United States Code for criminal violations of the Kingpin Act.

GULF CARTEL MEMBER SENTENCED TO 35 YEARS IN PRISON FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Monday, May 13, 2013

High Ranking Gulf Cartel Member Sentenced in Washington, D.C., to 35 Years in Prison for Drug Trafficking

Highest Ranking Gulf Cartel Member to Be Convicted by a U.S. Jury in the Past 15 Years

Aurelio Cano Flores, a Mexican national and high ranking member of the Gulf Cartel, was sentenced today to serve 35 years in prison for conspiring to import multi-ton quantities of cocaine and marijuana into the United States, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Administrator Michele M. Leonhart of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

Cano Flores, 40, aka "Yankee" and "Yeyo," was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Barbara J. Rothstein in the District of Columbia. In addition to his prison term, Cano Flores was ordered to forfeit $15 billion in drug proceeds as part of a money judgment. At a post-trial hearing, the United States proved that from 2000 to 2010, the Gulf Cartel distributed in excess of 1.4 million kilograms of cocaine and 8,000 metric tons of marijuana. The money judgment represents the gross receipts of the Gulf Cartel’s drug sales into the United States from its principal distribution centers located along the U.S.-Mexico border.

"For over a decade, Aurelio Cano Flores worked with some of the most dangerous criminals in the world to import massive quantities of cocaine and marijuana into the United States," said Acting Assistant Attorney General Raman. "As a leader of the Gulf Cartel, one of the most notorious criminal enterprises in Mexico or the United States, he endangered the lives of innocent people on both sides of the border. As a result of today’s sentencing, he will spend 35 years in federal prison as punishment for his crimes."

"DEA and its partners use every law enforcement tool possible to bring to justice drug cartel leaders and facilitators who inflict damage on both sides of the border," said DEA Administrator Leonhart. "Aurelio Cano-Flores used his position as a Mexican police officer to help one of the most violent and brutal drug trafficking organizations in the world bring vast amounts of drugs into the United States. Like many other cartel leaders, he posed a threat to the citizens of both the United States and Mexico. We are confident and pleased that justice was served today by the pronouncement of his lengthy U.S. prison sentence."

Following a trial that lasted over two weeks, Cano Flores was convicted by a federal jury on Feb. 26, 2013, of one count of conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and 1,000 kilograms or more of marijuana, knowing and intending the substances would be unlawfully imported into the United States.

Cano Flores was one of 19 defendants charged in a superseding indictment on Nov. 4, 2010, with drug trafficking offenses. He was extradited to the United States from Mexico in August 2011 and was ordered detained in federal custody pending trial.

Evidence presented at trial included dozens of lawfully intercepted telephone conversations between Cano Flores and other leaders of the Gulf Cartel, as well as testimony from previously convicted Cartel members. According to the trial evidence, Cano Flores began working for the Gulf Cartel in approximately 2001, while he was serving as a police officer in Mexico. During his time as a police officer, Cano Flores recruited others into the Gulf Cartel, collected drug money and escorted large shipments of cartel drugs to the U.S. border.

Cano Flores ultimately rose through the ranks of the Gulf Cartel to become a major transporter of narcotics within Mexico to the U.S. border and became the Cartel’s top representative in the important border town of Los Guerra, Tamaulipas, Mexico. As the "plaza boss" for Los Guerra, Cano Flores oversaw the mass distribution of cocaine and marijuana into the United States on a daily basis. Testimony established that between 2000 and 2010, the Gulf Cartel grew from an organization of only 100 members controlling three border towns to an organization of 25,000 people controlling the drug trade over approximately half of Mexico. As established during the trial, the means and methods of this conspiracy included corruption, murder, kidnapping and intimidation.

The case was prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Darrin McCullough and Sean Torriente of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in the provisional arrest and extradition of Cano Flores, and the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section provided assistance at sentencing. The investigation in this case was led by the DEA Houston Field Division’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Strike Force and the DEA Bilateral Investigation Unit. The case was part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force’s Operation "Day of Reckoning."

FORMER COLOMBIAN PROSECUTOR PLEADS GUILTY TO ROLE IN DRUG TRAFFICKING

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Monday, October 15, 2012
Former Colombian Prosecutor Pleads Guilty to Role in International Drug Trafficking Conspiracy

WASHINGTON – A former Colombian prosecutor pleaded guilty today to providing law enforcement information to drug traffickers as part of a conspiracy to import cocaine into the United States, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Mark R. Trouville of the Miami Field Division.

Ramiro Anturi Larrahondo, 55, a Colombian national, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John D. Bates in the District of Columbia to one count of conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, knowing and intending that the cocaine would be illegally imported into the United States. The plea agreement is subject to court approval.

Anturi Larrahondo is the first Colombian prosecutor ever to be extradited to the United States.

"Ramiro Anturi Larrahondo used his position as a Colombian prosecutor to leak sensitive law enforcement intelligence to large-scale drug traffickers in exchange for his own personal enrichment," said Assistant Attorney General Breuer. "Anturi Larrahondo undermined international law enforcement operations and betrayed the trust placed in him by the Colombian government. As the first case ever in which a Colombian prosecutor is being extradited to the United States, this matter shows how dogged we are in our pursuit of narcotics traffickers and how determined we are to hold accountable those smuggling drugs into this country."

"The DEA will not tolerate any acts that put our agents’ lives in jeopardy," said DEA Special Agent in Charge Trouville. "Mr. Anturi Larrahondo will now face the consequences of his criminal conduct to assist drug traffickers."

Anturi Larrahondo was indicted by a federal grand jury on Jan. 26, 2010, in the District of Columbia. According to court documents, in 2009, while serving as a Colombian prosecutor, Anturi Larrahondo provided sensitive law enforcement investigative information to a major Colombian maritime drug trafficking organization.

According to Anturi Larrahondo’s plea agreement, the drug trafficking organization Anturi Larrahondo conspired with was responsible for transporting cocaine by go-fast vessels from the port city of Buenaventura, Colombia, to Central America, with the ultimate destination being the United States. During the investigation, Colombian judicial wire intercepts recorded Anturi Larrahondo speaking to representatives of the drug trafficking organization and a DEA cooperating source regarding financial payments to Anturi Larrahondo, delivery of documents to the drug trafficking organization and the coordination of meetings between Anturi Larrahondo and representatives of the drug trafficking organization.

As part of his plea agreement, Anturi Larrahondo admitted he received regular monthly payments from the Colombian drug trafficking organization in order for the drug traffickers to find out what, if any, criminal investigation the governments of Colombia or the United States were conducting against the drug traffickers. Anturi Larrahondo further admitted that he received the corrupt payments in order to protect the drug trafficking organization from law enforcement. Members of the Colombian drug trafficking organization made regular monthly cash payments to Anturi Larrahondo of 21 million pesos, the equivalent of approximately $10,000 in U.S. currency.

Anturi Larrahondo’s sentencing hearing has been scheduled for Nov. 26, 2012.

This case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Mark Maldonado, Stephen May and Stephen Sola of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section, with significant assistance from the section’s judicial attaches in Bogota, Colombia, the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs and the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Republic of Colombia. The case was investigated by DEA’s Bogota Country Office and the Miami Field Division, in coordination with the Judicial Police of the Prosecutor General’s Office in Colombia and the Colombian National Police.

AFGHAN NARCO-TERRORIST SENTENCED TO LIFE IN PRISON

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Haji Bagcho Sentenced to Life in Prison on Drug Trafficking and Narco-Terrorism Charges Afghan National Responsible for Almost 20 Percent of World’s Heroin Production
WASHINGTON – An Afghan national with ties to the Taliban was sentenced to life in prison today for conspiring to distribute heroin to the United States and for using drug proceeds to fund, arm and supply the Taliban, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Administrator Michele M. Leonhart of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
 
Haji Bagcho, an Afghan national and large scale drug trafficker, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Ellen S. Huvelle in the District of Columbia.   In addition to his prison term, Bagcho was ordered to forfeit $254,203,032 in drug proceeds along with his property in Afghanistan.

 “Haji Bagcho led a massive drug production and trafficking operation that supplied heroin in more than 20 countries, including the United States,” said Assistant Attorney General Breuer.  “In 2006 alone, he conducted heroin transactions worth more than $250 million.   Bagcho used the profits of his narcotics trafficking operation to support high-level Taliban commanders in Afghanistan.   Today’s life sentence is an appropriate punishment for one of the most notorious heroin traffickers in the world.”

“This is DEA at its finest, working in close collaboration with our Afghan partners to end the long reign of this Afghan drug lord whose drug proceeds financed terror,” said DEA Administrator Leonhart.   “One of the world’s most prolific drug traffickers who helped fund the Taliban will spend his remaining days behind bars in a U.S. prison due to the relentless efforts of DEA, our Afghan counterparts and our prosecuting partners.”  

Bagcho was convicted by a jury on March 13, 2012, after a three week trial, of one count of conspiracy to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin, knowing and intending that it would be unlawfully imported into the United States; one count of distribution of one kilogram or more of heroin knowing and intending that it would be unlawfully imported into the United States; and one count of narco-terrorism.   The trial, before Judge Huvelle, was only the second under the narco-terrorism statute since its enactment in 2006.

Bagcho was charged in a superseding indictment on Jan. 28, 2010, after his arrest and extradition to the United States from Afghanistan in May 2009.

The DEA, in cooperation with their Afghan counterparts, conducted the investigation, which revealed that Bagcho was one of the largest heroin traffickers in the world and manufactured the drug in clandestine laboratories along Afghanistan’s border region with Pakistan.   According to information presented at trial, Bagcho, who had been operating his heroin business since at least the 1990s, sent the drug to more than 20 countries, including the United States.   Proceeds from his heroin trafficking were then used to support high-level members of the Taliban in furtherance of their insurgency in Afghanistan.

With the help of cooperating witnesses, evidence showed that the DEA purchased heroin directly from Bagcho’s organization on two occasions, which Bagcho understood was destined for the United States.   They also conducted several searches of residences belonging to Bagcho and his associates, recovering evidence consistent with drug trafficking.   During one search, ledgers belonging to the defendant were found and were later introduced at trial.   One ledger, cataloguing Bagcho’s activities during 2006 alone, reflected heroin transactions totaling more than 123,000 kilograms, worth more than $250 million.   Based on heroin production statistics compiled by the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime for 2006, the defendant’s trafficking accounted for approximately 20 percent of the total amount of heroin produced worldwide that year.

Over several years, evidence at trial established that Bagcho used a portion of his drug proceeds to provide cash, weapons and other supplies to the former Taliban governor of Nangarhar Province and two Taliban commanders responsible for insurgent activity in eastern Afghanistan, so that they could continue their “jihad” against western troops and the Afghan government.

The case was prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Matthew Stiglitz and Marlon Cobar of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section.   The case was investigated by the DEA Special Operations Division in the United States, with assistance from the DEA’s Foreign Deployed Advisory Support Team and Kabul Country Office in Afghanistan, the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, and in close cooperation with Afghan law enforcement.   The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs and Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section provided invaluable support.

DRUG CARTEL LEADER GETS LIFE, ADMITS LINKS TO OVER 1,500 MURDERS

FROM DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Juarez Drug Cartel Leader Pleads Guilty to Charges Related to U.S. Consulate Murders and Is Sentenced to Life in Prison Defendant Admits to Directing or Participating in More Than 1,500 Murders since 2008

WASHINGTON – The Juarez Drug Cartel’s leader in Juarez and Chihuahua, Mexico, pleaded guilty today in El Paso, Texas, and was sentenced to life in prison for his participation in drug-trafficking and numerous acts of violence in connection with the Barrio Azteca gang, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Robert Pitman for the Western District of Texas, FBI Special Agent in Charge Mark Morgan of the FBI’s El Paso Office and Administrator Michele M. Leonhart of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

Jose Antonio Acosta-Hernandez, 34, aka “Diego,” “Dienton,” “Diez” and “Bablazo,” of Chihuahua, was extradited to the United States from Mexico on March 16, 2012.  Today, he pleaded guilty to four counts of racketeering, narcotics trafficking and money laundering.  Acosta-Hernandez also pleaded guilty to seven counts of murder and weapons charges, which specifically related to the March 13, 2010, triple homicide in Juarez of U.S. Consulate employee Leslie Enriquez, her husband Arthur Redelfs and Jorge Salcido Ceniceros, the husband of another U.S. Consulate employee.  Immediately after the guilty plea hearing, Acosta-Hernandez was sentenced to seven concurrent life terms, three additional consecutive life terms and 20 years in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Kathleen Cardone of the Western District of Texas, El Paso Division.

Today’s action is the result of close coordination between U.S. law enforcement and the government of Mexico in the investigation and prosecution of this case.  The cooperation and assistance of the government of Mexico was essential to achieving the successful extradition, plea and sentencing of Acosta-Hernandez.  

“As the leader of La Linea’s enforcement wing, Mr. Acosta-Hernandez directed a reign of terror,” said Assistant Attorney General Breuer.  “Today’s guilty plea and sentence are a significant step in our effort to bring to justice those responsible for the consulate murders, and it would not have been possible without the extraordinary assistance of our law enforcement partners in Mexico, including Attorney General Marisela Morales Ibáñez.  We are determined to hold accountable those individuals who committed the consulate murders, and to dismantle the dangerous criminal enterprise that fueled these and many other tragic and senseless acts of violence.  Gangs and other criminal organizations that threaten public safety on both sides of the border are on notice that we are working more closely than ever with our Mexican counterparts to shut them down.”

“This plea represents the culmination of a virtual textbook example of cooperation among law enforcement agencies, both in the United States and in Mexico, to hold accountable those at the highest level of the drug trafficking trade,” said U.S. Attorney Pitman.  “We will continue to work together with our counterparts in Mexico to target those responsible for the heinous crimes associated with cartel activity.”

“This investigation exemplifies the FBI’s commitment and that of our federal, state, local and international partners to investigate and prosecute individuals and organized criminal organizations who commit violent acts and other crimes impacting the U.S. and our border area with the Republic of Mexico,” said Special Agent in Charge Morgan.  “The joint effort included the participation of USM Service, CBP, DEA, HSI, DOS, Texas DPS, El Paso Police, El Paso County Sheriff’s office and our Mexican partners.”
“Acosta-Hernandez is a cold blooded murderer with no respect for human life or the rule of law,” said DEA Administrator Leonhart.  “His violent and deadly actions were put to a stop due to the combined efforts of U.S. law enforcement, and the will of the Mexican government. Together, we will relentlessly continue our pressure on the Mexican cartels and gangs that carry out violence on both sides of the border.”

The third superseding indictment, returned on March 2, 2011, alleged that Acosta-Hernandez was an associate of the Barrio Azteca (BA), a violent street and prison gang that began in the late 1980s and expanded into a transnational criminal organization.  According to information presented in court, the BA formed an alliance with “La Linea,” which is part of the Juarez Drug Cartel and is also known as the Vincente Carrillo Fuentes Drug Cartel or “VCF.”  The purpose of the BA-La Linea alliance was to battle the Chapo Guzman Cartel and its allies for control of the drug trafficking routes through Juarez and Chihuahua.  The drug routes through Juarez, known as the Juarez Plaza, are important to drug trafficking organizations because they are a principal illicit drug trafficking conduit into the United States.  

Acosta-Hernandez admitted that in approximately 2008, he became the leader of La Linea’s armed enforcement wing and acted as the VCF’s plaza boss in Chihuahua and Juarez.  In this role, Acosta-Hernandez, in coordination with the BA, led violent attacks against their common enemies.  Acosta-Hernandez admitted that he directed or participated in more than 1,500 murders since 2008.

For example, Acosta-Hernandez admitted that on Jan. 30, 2010, he ordered hit-men in his organization to kill members of the opposition that were sighted at a daytime birthday party at a home in Juarez.  As part of this incident, 16 individuals were killed and 10 individuals were wounded at three different residences in Juarez.  On July 15, 2010, Acosta-Hernandez directed a car bombing in Juarez that ultimately killed four people.
       
Acosta-Hernandez admitted that his purpose for engaging in these violent attacks was, in part, to protect and enhance the La Linea-BA alliance’s importation of heroin, cocaine and marijuana into the Western District of Texas and elsewhere, and ultimately to make possible the distribution of those drugs in the United States.  Acosta-Hernandez admitted that he knew that the La Linea-BA alliance earned millions of dollars in drug trafficking profits each year.  He also knew that these profits were reinvested into the organization to purchase additional drugs to import into the United States and/or to purchase weapons, ammunition or supplies to continue fighting enemies of La Linea and the BA.

During the guilty plea hearing, Acosta-Hernandez also pleaded guilty to charges relating to the triple homicide of Enriquez, Redelfs and Salcido, based on his leadership position within La Linea and association with the BA.  According to information presented in court, on March 13, 2010, Enriquez, her husband Redelfs, and Salcido, the Mexican national husband of a second U.S. Consulate employee, were shot and killed by other BA members in Juarez in separate but related incidents.  According to information presented in court, on March 13, employees of the U.S. Consulate hosted a child’s birthday party in Juarez.  Salcido was shot and killed in his vehicle as he left the party.  His three children also were in the car and sustained minor injuries.  His wife, a Mexican national employee at the U.S. Consulate, was following Salcido in a separate vehicle and was unharmed in the attack.

At approximately the same time, U.S. citizens Enriquez and Redelfs left the same party and were shot and killed in their vehicle.  Enriquez was four months pregnant at the time of the shooting.  Enriquez’s and Redelfs’ nine-month-old daughter also was in the vehicle but was unharmed.
 
During the hearing, Acosta-Hernandez acknowledged that Salcido, Enriquez and Redelfs were murdered by members and associates of the BA to further the gang’s racketeering activities.  Acosta-Hernandez admitted that at the time, under his leadership as VCF’s plaza boss and coordinator of enforcement actions with the BA in Juarez, La Linea and the BA had agreed to unite and commit murders to further their criminal enterprise.
A total of 35 defendants were charged in the third superseding indictment and are alleged to have committed various criminal acts, including racketeering, narcotics distribution and importation, retaliation against persons providing information to U.S. law enforcement, extortion, money laundering, obstruction of justice and murder, including the 2010 Juarez consulate murders.  Of the 35 defendants charged, 32 have been apprehended; 23 of those defendants have pleaded guilty, while seven others are pending extradition from Mexico.  U.S. and Mexican law enforcement are actively seeking to apprehend the three remaining fugitives in this case, including Eduardo Ravelo, an FBI Top Ten Most Wanted Fugitive.  Trial against Ramon Renteria, aka “Spooky,” is scheduled to begin in El Paso on May 18, 2012.

The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Joseph A. Cooley of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section, Trial Attorney Brian Skaret of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney George Leal of the Western District of Texas - El Paso Division.  The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico provided significant assistance in this case, including by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Davenport.  Valuable assistance was provided by the Criminal Division’s Offices of International Affairs and Enforcement Operations.

The case was investigated by the FBI’s El Paso Field Office, Albuquerque Field Office (Las Cruces Resident Agency), DEA Juarez and DEA El Paso.  Special assistance was provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Immigration and Customs Enforcement; the U.S. Marshals Service; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; Federal Bureau of Prisons; U.S. Diplomatic Security Service; the Texas Department of Public Safety; the Texas Department of Criminal Justice; El Paso Police Department; El Paso County Sheriff’s Office; El Paso Independent School District Police Department; Texas Alcohol and Beverage Commission; New Mexico State Police; Dona Ana County, N.M., Sheriff’s Office; Las Cruces, N.M., Police Department; Southern New Mexico Correctional Facility; and Otero County Prison Facility New Mexico.

THE ATTORNEY GENERAL AND OTHER OFFICIALS GO AFTER ILLEGAL PRESCRIPTION DRUG DISTRIBUTORS IN FLORIDA

The following is from the Department of Justice website:

“Friday, October 28, 2011
Attorney General Holder, Federal and State Officials Announce Enforcement Efforts Against Illegal Prescription Drug Distributors in Florida
More Than 100 Individuals Arrested to Date in Operations Targeting Pill Mills in Florida
WASHINGTON – Federal authorities, along with state and local law enforcement partners, conducted coordinated enforcement actions today against 22 individuals and one pharmacy allegedly involved in the illegal distribution of prescription drugs. This enforcement action, known as Operation Pill Nation II, was announced by Attorney General Eric Holder, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Administrator Michele M. Leonhart and U.S. Attorney Robert E. O’Neill for the Middle District of Florida.
“Today’s actions mark important progress in our ongoing fight against one of the nation’s greatest public safety and public health epidemics: prescription drug abuse,” said Attorney General Holder. “Our targeted, aggressive enforcement actions are sending a clear message that in Florida, which has long been an epicenter for the illegal use and distribution of prescription drugs, the days of easily acquiring these drugs from corrupt doctors and pharmacists are numbered.”
“The days of going to Florida to easily obtain dangerous prescription controlled substances from corrupt medical professionals are coming to an end,” said DEA Administrator Leonhart. “DEA, in conjunction with its federal, state and local law enforcement partners, has implemented an aggressive and comprehensive strategy in Florida and throughout the United States to stop the diversion of prescription controlled substances that is fueling our country’s epidemic of prescription drug abuse. Operations such as Pill Nation II illustrate the steadfast determination of DEA and its law enforcement partners in ending Florida’s role as the epicenter for rogue pain clinics in the United States.”
“The heightened cooperation among local, state and federal law enforcement agencies over the past several months demonstrates the commitment to combat this growing problem,” said U.S. Attorney O’Neill. “Those involved in these types of illegal activities should know that we will continue to investigate, enforce and prosecute those responsible for violating their professional oaths and putting lives in danger.”
Among the 22 people arrested today in Orlando and Tampa, Fla., were five doctors and two pharmacists, who have been charged for their alleged roles in illegally distributing prescription drugs. The court documents unsealed and filed today allege the individuals charged illegally diverted controlled substances.
DEA agents, working alongside state and local law enforcement partners, also executed six search warrants in the Tampa area and served two immediate suspension orders to a doctor and a pharmacy. These orders revoke their authority to dispense or prescribe controlled substances. In addition, approximately $500,000 in U.S. currency and assets were seized today.
Prior to today’s actions, efforts undertaken as part of Operation Pill Nation II have led to the arrest of 49 individuals. In addition, the DEA today announced the addition of a third Tactical Diversion Squad in Florida. This new group will be in Orlando and responsible for investigating prescription drug diversion in Central Florida.
Operation Pill Nation I, which was announced in February 2011 in South Florida, has resulted in the arrest of 47 people to date, including 17 doctors and five clinic owners, and the seizure of more than $18.9 million in cash and assets. In addition, more than 70 doctors, six pharmacy owners and five DEA Registered Controlled Substance Distributors have been stripped of their DEA registrations.
Pill mills are operations in which physicians, pharmacies or clinics prescribe controlled substances, without the proper assessment or due care to legitimate patients.
As part of continuing efforts to protect people – especially children and teens – from the dangers of misused or abused prescription drugs, DEA is sponsoring its third National Prescription Drug Take Back Day tomorrow, Oct. 29, 2011. This event allows people to dispose of expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs at more than 5,000 collection sites throughout the United States, including 17 sites in Tampa and Orlando. During the previous two national Prescription Drug Take Back events, a total of more than 309 tons of prescription drugs were collected nationwide. To learn more about the program or find a Saturday collection site near you, go to: www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/NTBI/ntbi-pub.pub?_flowId=public-flow‪.
The cases announced today were investigated by the DEA; the Tampa Police Department; the Manatee County, Fla., Sheriff’s Office; the Lakeland, Fla., Police Department; the Pinellas County, Fla., Sheriff’s Office; the New Port Richey, Fla., Police Department; the Naples, Fla., Police Department; the Fort Myers, Fla., Police Department; the Hillsborough County, Fla., Sheriff’s Office; and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the Middle District of Florida.”