googletag.pubads().enableSingleRequest(); Most recent. A lot of that is drug smuggling, a lot of those drugs end up here and end up on the streets in these communities, we have an obligation to help, said Eric, the Special Agent in charge of the Homeland Security New Mexico and West Texas Division. In the past 20 years in. Six people have been arrested by ICE on various drug trafficking charges involving crack cocaine. googletag.pubads().enableSingleRequest(); PORTLAND, Ore. U.S. authorities said Wednesday they completed drug-trafficking busts in Oregon that involved an international network of couriers, dealers and stash-house operators who smuggled. Our region is a rich environment that can be exploited by criminals, said Chief Gloria Chavez of the El Paso Sector. More than 300,000 fentanyl pills seized in federal bust connected to 3 major drug trafficking groups . The federal threshold for prosecuting marijuana crimes goes by weight, and there must be 1,000 lbs or more of the drug, Mace said. Mexican police find $62M in drugs in abandoned truck near border Mexican authorities found 25,000 pounds worth of narcotics hidden inside a tractor-trailer that was abandoned just south of the Mexican border on Dec. 6. Further, that Ryan Rodriguez acted as a mid-level cocaine distributor, receiving supplies of cocaine from Jose and Natalie Mendoza, converting it to crack cocaine, and distributing it to customers, including an undercover agent posing as a lower-level drug trafficker. Cannon Air Force Base commander: 'Were excited to open up the base to the public and put a lot of things on display for folks to see', Retail theft bill blocked in New Mexico House: There is tremendous public desire to address the root causes of this crime epidemic, Mayor of Los Ranchos: 'Everybody that is here is really enjoying the matanza, especially the food', Bahadir: 'My parents, my uncle, everybody in my family the city they grew up in is leveled', Edgewood mayor: 'It is not logical to destroy a useful community center for the Edgewood people', Local deputies participate in Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge: 'I've never been in any type of physical or mental exhaustion like that'. Friday, federal and local law enforcement announced the results of an operation in southeast New Mexico that. The first-term state representative and former Albuquerque middle school math teacher grew up in Chihuahua and has an engineering degree. Count 1 of the indictment charges all six defendants with conspiracy to distribute cocaine base. A massive drug bust involved over 25 people being indicted by a federal grand jury April 8 where they were allegedly involved in international money laundering and a meth trafficking scheme. 1. During the traffic stop, Troopers identified several indicators of criminal activity, and a drug-sniffing K9 was requested to the scene, who subsequently indicated to the presence of narcotics within the vehicle. Anytime we get a bust like that, were ecstatic were able to keep those narcotics from getting into other communities, Mace said. The company flew its test plane for 15 minutes at low elevation above the Grant County International Airport in Moses Lake, Washington, where it Amid debate over transgender rights, New Mexico House OKs New Mexico legislation would prohibit discrimination New Mexico legislation would prohibit discrimination in provision of public services on basis of gender, gender identity. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents arrested six defendants Feb. 17, charged with various drug trafficking offenses involving crack cocaine. The 16-month investigation targeted members of the Sinaloa Cartel, once headed by Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, who is currently in jail awaiting trial in Brooklyn Federal Court. NIXA, Mo. New Mexico State Police say they found more than a dozen guns some of them stolen thousands in cash, a fair amount of fentanyl and a Los Lunas Police badge when they raided the home of 35-year-old Army veteran Claudio Chavez on Jan. 30. Gonzales said the dealers arrested were mostly longtime Espaola Valley residents. According to public court records allegations have been made that, Jose Mendoza, and his wife, Natalie Mendoza, were high-level suppliers of cocaine in the Espaola Valley of New Mexico. New Zealand police find 3.5 tons of cocaine in Pacific Ocean. Jose Mendoza is charged in Counts 1, 2, 9, 10, 11, and 12. Mace said that while the driver wasnt connected to the robberies, it was obvious that something was amiss. The Southern California seizure occurred on Oct. 2, 2020. A 29-year-old who posed as a food delivery driver and tried to smuggle illegal opioids into an Adelaide medi-hotel has . Investigators believe a Mexican drug cartel is behind a major illegal drug operation in Tulare . A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. When were talking a couple of hundred pounds of marijuana, it smells, Mace said. Market data provided by Factset. But as we all know, we have a very long way to go. window.googletag = window.googletag || {cmd: []}; Between August 2020 and May 2021, agents and officers recovered over 120 pounds of narcotics, over $335,000 in cash, and two guns, as well as drug paraphernalia. googletag.defineSlot('/21776187881/fw-responsive-main_content-slot2', [[728, 90], [468, 60], [320, 50], [300, 100]], 'div-gpt-ad-1665767737710-0').defineSizeMapping(gptSizeMaps.banner1).addService(googletag.pubads()); These types of narcotic seizures and arrests demonstrate the value of our border security mission everyday.. of narcotics that have an estimated street value of approximately $5 billion. $31M in methamphetamine hidden in trucks roof. Legal Statement. Breitbart Texas Robert Arce, a former law enforcement official who specialized in drug crime, reported that the Sinaloa Cartel has stepped up the production of methamphetamine and opioid-based products to offset any cash flow losses attributed to the legalization of marijuana in the United States., The Drug Enforcement Administrations most recent threat assessment ranks the Mexican drug cartels as the greatest criminal drug threat to the United States; no other group is currently positioned to challenge them., Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Ryan Rodriguezs sister, Andrea Rodriguez, allegedly delivered drugs to customers on Ryan Rodriguezs behalf. or redistributed. The first-term state representative and former Albuquerque middle school math teacher grew up in Chihuahua and has an engineering degree. It really gives off a strong odor.. The Mexican Navy conducted the first drug bust on August 16 in Sinaloa, Mexico, which is home to the . Attorneys Peter Eicker and Matthew Nelson are prosecuting the case as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program, a nationwide Department of Justice program that 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. Edvardo Carlson is charged in Counts 1, 6, 7, and 8. The maximum penalty on conviction is up to four years in prison. Changes to city of Albuquerque's Sun Van service raise New process allows anybody to self-certify New process allows anybody to self-certify they are disabled. googletag.cmd.push(function() { Noi Mahoney is a Texas-based journalist who covers cross-border trade, logistics and supply chains for FreightWaves. U.S. Customs and Border Protection made a record-breaking seizure of fentanyl and methamphetamine on Thursday, busting a Mexican citizen who was trying to haul the drugs into to the U.S. inside a truck, authorities said. }); Officials with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) found a combined $61 million worth of methamphetamine and marijuana on Aug. 7, in two separate shipments of cactus and lime from Mexico at the Otay Mesa border crossing. Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Natalie Mendoza allegedly kept records of drug sales and collected proceeds from drug transactions. 3 Mar. Submit Your Story By Sam Jackson Feb 19, 2022 An arrest and seizure of more than $1 million in street drugs in New Mexico resulted in no charges and the suspect being released, authorities said. "We are not talking about people that simply possess. They were allegedly distributing drugs throught New Mexico and Texas and into Colorado and other states. We were actually looking for the individuals that were involved in the armed robberies, Mace said. Violence has surged in Juarez the past few years as the New Generation Jalisco Cartel is challenging the Sinaloa and Juarez Cartels for the lucrative drug trafficking route into U.S., or plaza, especially in the Juarez Valley southeast of El Paso, Texas, a long-held Sinaloa Cartel stronghold. googletag.cmd.push(function() { }); Almost $400 million in narcotics were seized from trucks attempting to cross from Mexico into the U.S. during 2020. P.O. Agents at the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge cargo facility in South Texas discovered 1,853 pounds of crystal meth on Dec. 19, in a shipment of fresh tomatoes from Mexico. window.googletag = window.googletag || {cmd: []}; Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. The Mexican Navy conducted the first drug bust on August 16 in Sinaloa, Mexico, which is home to the Sinaloa drug cartel the largest and most powerful drug trafficking organization in the world. Jun 29, 2022. swansea council parking contact number . Sessions visited border towns and Long Island, New York, the past two weeks to announce that the administration will clamp down on MS-13, a violent street gang with Central American roots that is terrorizing many parts of the country. Box 607 The recent arrest of 23 Mexican cartel operatives in New Mexico and West Texas is prime example of newly empowered local and federal law enforcement officials whose attitude reflects that of the Trump administration, some lawmen say. And having a restricted supply increases the money that sellers can demand in exchange for the goods. Two people got caught with an illegal psilocybin mushroom grow and other drugs in a Lyons home. Dozens of Albuquerque Academy students volunteered to help unload and deliver the furnishings. In total, authorities say they seized 10.5 kilograms of cocaine, 650 grams of suspected fentanyl and more than $200,000 in drug proceeds. of cocaine found in wheels of traveler's wheelchair at airport Gun safe storage bill inches closer to governor's desk Republicans express concern over high-profile measure Republicans express concern over high-profile measure during Fridays two-hour debate. Bryan Llenas reports on the attorney general's efforts on 'Special Reports'. In an unrelated bust, 39 people were charged as being part of a distribution ring based out of El Paso, Texas and Chaparral, N.M., Gonzales said. All rights reserved. Dona Ana. 2. Market data provided by Factset. Theyll bring amounts of this size across this border and store them in stash houses until it is large enough to move to other parts of the country, Vigil said. window.googletag = window.googletag || {cmd: []}; An official website of the United States government. Manage the news you want to see, read exclusive content and explore other subscriber benefits. Pitch your story to The New Mexico Sun. Follow us on Twitter at @USBPChiefEPT and @CBPWestTexas. According to Eastland County Today, Tuesday at 1:30 am - Eastland County Deputy Sheriff Colby Jackson made a traffic stop on a speeding vehicle on Interstate 20. The female driver was identified as Shauna Madrid, 36, from Roswell, New Mexico. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Counts 4, 6, 8, and 10 charge certain defendants with distribution of 28 grams or more of cocaine base. A grand jury returned an indictment against the defendants Feb. 25. Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Federal agents arrested them on Feb. 27 with assistance from state and local law enforcement. $37M in meth discovered in fresh tomato shipment. The men and women of the U.S. Border Patrol are vigilant to safeguard our nations borders from individuals attempting to illegally cross into the United States. In a major crackdown on the drug trafficking cartels, Tripura Police in a joint operation with Assam Rifles busted a syndicate wherein 186 kg of drugs were seized and one person was arrested. Know of a story that needs to be covered? Natalie Mendoza is charged in Counts 1, 2, 5, 7, 9, 10, and 12. CBP: Drug Seizures Dropped at Border Ports in SoCal in 2022. The maximum penalty on conviction is from five to 40 years in prison. Declaration began March 11, 2020, and NM is one of five states that still have such orders. The Fifth Judicial District Attorney said Roman Reyes-Mesa, who is still on the loose and wanted for conspiracy to traffic methamphetamine, is why the operation happened.