Mexican authorities have not released further details about the case, including why the teens might have been targeted. Agents and officers from the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force-Gang Group, San Diego Police Department, San Diego Sherriffs Department, National City Police Department, Chula Vista Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Prisons, San Diego County Probation and the San Diego County District Attorneys Office collaborated on this investigation. For firearms charges: Ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Forms & InstructionsOverviewPOPULAR FORMS & INSTRUCTIONSForm 1040Individual Tax ReturnForm 1040 InstructionsInstructions for Form 1040Form W-9Request for Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) and CertificationForm 4506-TRequest for Transcript of Tax ReturnForm W-4Employee's Withholding CertificateForm 941Employer's Quarterly Federal Tax . 841(a)(1)). Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. 952 and 960; Maximum Penalties: For the drug charges: Life in prison with a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a $10 million fine. San Diego County residents face federal charges in . Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. A lock ( The 19-count indictment charges a total of 19 defendants with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum 10-year prison sentence and a statutory maximum penalty of life imprisonment. 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A locked padlock DEFENDANT Case Number: 21CR1406-DMS, DEFENDANT Case Number: 21CR1407-DMS, DEFENDANTS Case Number: 21CR1408-DMS. 922(g)(1). Subscribe Gangs, drugs, and illegal firearms are infesting many of our neighborhoods and creating a violent culture that is unsafe for residents, said Acting U.S. Attorney Randy S. Grossman. Callery said that the targets of Operation Crystal Shield were purchasing over 100 pounds of meth a week, "which is an enormous amount for any city in the United States, Callery said. Maximum Penalties: For Maintaining Drug Involved Premises Charges: Five years imprisonment and a $500,000 fine. Maximum Penalties: For Distribution of Methamphetamine Charge: Forty years imprisonment with a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a $5 million fine. Four men alleged to be leaders in a Mexican cartel enforcement cell have been indicted in San Diego on drug-trafficking charges and are accused of orchestrating a wave of violence in Tijuana, including the murders of two San Diego teenagers in 2018, according to federal prosecutors. The "massive" San Diego network moved "tons" of meth around the nation, including to Hawaii, Arizona, Texas, Kansas, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, as well as to Australia and New Zealand, Grossman said. Many of the venues raided Wednesday were located inside small businesses or inside houses, apartments, and outbuildings in residential neighborhoods, predominantly in City Heights in the East San Diego area. As a result of the collaboration of federal, state and local law enforcement officials, law-abiding citizens who live in these neighborhoods will be safer without these magnets for crime in their midst. Felon in Possession of a Firearms and Ammunition (18, U.S.C., Secs. 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The culmination of a year-long investigation has netted the arrests of 47 people who are charged for allegedly distributing methamphetamine, heroin and fentanyl throughout Southern California and laundering tens of thousands of dollars in narcotics proceeds back to Sinaloa-Cartel associated drug traffickers in Mexico.. 12.23.2022. San Diego, California 92101-8807, Telephone: (619) 557-5610 RIVERSIDE, CA Law enforcement authorities today arrested 12 defendants charged in a federal grand jury indictment alleging they conspired to traffic large quantities of methamphetamine from their suppliers in Mexico into and throughout the Inland Empire. Many of these gang have long-standing ties to the Mexican Mafia. A new Grand Jury is chosen each year by July 1. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. Sutton said that the lead defendant in the case, Reyes Espinoza, was the one with the alleged ties to the Sinaloa Cartel and was the main supplier and served as a conduit, the main source of supply for the meth ring, responsible for importing hundreds of pounds of methamphetamine into San Diego every week. The three others with nicknames that reference apparent membership in Los Cabos, such as Cabo 96 and Cabo 89 remain at large. Those arrested are slated to be arraigned in San Diego federal court Friday afternoon. Grand Jury. In May 2020, another co-conspirator allegedly attempted to drive a load of 90.4 pounds (41 kilograms) of methamphetamine into the United States from Mexico through the San Ysidro port of entry. He checks all my emails, messages, messengers, FB (Facebook) posts, Maya Millete texted her brother months before she disappeared, Privacy PolicyTerms of ServiceSign Up For Our Newsletters, Copyright 2023, The San Diego Union-Tribune |. 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2). "Distribution networks like this one are the arms of violent cartels, reaching out into our communities," Grossman said. As of Thursday afternoon, 17 of the 23 defendants -- all identified as San Diego residents ranging in age from 23 to 60 -- were in federal or state custody, with a dozen of the defendants. An official website of the United States government. Maximum Penalties: For Possession with Intent to Distribute Charge: 40 years imprisonment with a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years and a $5 million fine. DEFENDANTS Case Number: 21CR1409-DMS, DEFENDANT Case Number: 21CR1410-DMS. He awaits extradition to the U.S. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. All rights reserved, Beaches Up and Down San Diego County Closed After Sewage Spills, Watch Live: Maya Millete Case Updates During Larry Millete's Hearing on Murder Charge, SUV Appears Split in Half After Oceanside Crash That Killed Mom, 6-Year-Old, Injured 4 Others, That's Where She Told Me That She Needs a Place to Live,' Maya Millete's Sister-in-Law Testifies. If you want to make sure you have the necessary supplies on hand to treat a future breakout, acne patches are the answer. Maximum Penalties: For firearms charges: Ten years in prison, and a $250,000 fine. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF. Three of the indicted individuals were already in custody prior to the takedown. The group is accused of dispatching large groups of armed killers to take over the region, including planning more than 150 murders in a roughly six-month period, most of them in Tijuana, according to a court-authorized interception of a group chat described in a recent court filing. Edgar Herrera Pardo oversaw a group of enforcers called Los Cabos who worked to secure the Baja California corridor for the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, according to prosecutors. Prosecutors said many of the defendants are either members or associates of gangs -- many of which have "longstanding ties to the Mexican Mafia" -- operating out of National City, San Ysidro and other areas. 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Federal Office Building DEFENDANTS Case Number: 21CR1405-DMS. Random Lengths News Operation 'Wipe Out:' Narcotics and Firearms Charges For 13 Defendants Named in Four Federal Indictments - The Los Angeles Harbor Area's Only Independently owned news magazine serving San Pedro, Wilmington, Carson, Lomita, Torrance, Long Beach, Rancho Palos Verdes and Harbor Gateway. MCC San Diego is a prison complex that contains An administrative security metropolitan correctional center. Many of the defendants are scheduled to be arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael Berg at 2 p.m. today and tomorrow. Felon in Possession of a Firearm, in violation of Title 18, U.S.C., Secs. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. The cartel was an early adopter of trafficking fentanyl into the U.S. as a cheaper, more reliable alternative to heroin and, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office, is also a prolific methamphetamine producer and chemical importer, using precursors procured from China and India.. Drug proceeds were returned to the networks leaders through a variety of means, including bulk cash, structured cash deposits into bank accounts and money transfers through apps like PayPal, Zelle, Venmo and Cash App, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office. Doctor and Office Manager Indicted in Scheme to Defraud Medicare, Manufacture and Distribute Fentanyl. According to an FBI search-warrant affidavit, at least nine of the 24 businesses raided belonged to one man, Long Ngoc Tran, 41, also known as Long Tu.. The Grand Jury investigates the operations of governmental programs of the County, cities and special districts. He pleaded guilty in July 2022 to one count of interstate domestic violence resulting in death and was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District . This yearlong investigation involved federal wiretaps, dozens of undercover drug and gun buys and extensive surveillance. As a result of the collaboration of federal, state, and local law enforcement officials, law-abiding citizens who live in these neighborhoods will be safer without these magnets for crime in their midst.. Possession with Intent to Distribute (Title 21, U.S.C., Sec. The indictments are part of a yearlong investigation involving wiretaps, undercover drug and gun purchases and "extensive surveillance," according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. A locked padlock If you sell drugs in San Diego, we will find you and prosecute you to the full extent of the law.. 841(a)(1) and 846; Distribution of Methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, U.S.C., Sec. An official website of the United States government. The charges, which were recently unsealed, include conspiracy to import and distribute heroin and methamphetamine. . Grossman also praised Assistant U.S. Main Office: ", "San Diego is one of nine major transportation-hub cities identified under DEA's Operation Crystal Shield," said John Callery, Special Agent in Charge of DEAs San Diego Field Division. Meth, Firearm Result in 10 Years of Prison January 03, 2023 JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. Additional partner agencies participating in the takedown. Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine (Title 21, U.S.C., Sec. Domestic Cannabis Suppression / Eradication Program, Red Ribbon Toolkit - Resources For Your Community, DEA National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, Intelligence Research Specialist Job Announcements, Schedule A Hiring Authority: Intelligence Research Specialist, Privacy Impact Assessment and Management Information Systems, Victim Witness Assistance Program Resources. Have a question about Government Services? Early this morning, more than 450 members of the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force - Gang Group, the San Diego Police Department and many other law enforcement agencies made 35 arrests and searched 24 locations, mostly illegal gambling dens in East San Diego neighborhoods.