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. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS 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. Lock for adult inmates in San Diego, California in San diego that opened in 1974. . We'll send you the top local news stories every morning at 8 a.m. By clicking subscribe, you agree to share your email address with Times of San Diego to receive our free newsletter and breaking news alerts. Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substance, in violation of Title 21, U.S.C., Secs. 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. A grand jury indictment was unsealed Tuesday charging 60 alleged members of a San Diego-based methamphetamine distribution network with ties to the Sinaloa cartel with federal drug trafficking, money laundering and firearms offenses. Christopher Alexis Gomez, 17, and Juan Suarez-Ojeda, 18, both U.S. citizens from San Diego, and Angel Said Robles, 17, of Tijuana were in a Tijuana apartment when a group of people burst in. Two additional defendants were charged in separate indictments in March in connection with this case, bringing the number of defendants charged so far to 21. Official websites use .govA .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Reporters Notebook: California border remains top fentanyl trafficking gateway into U.S. Judge sentences boat pilot to 18 years in prison for three smuggling deaths, Truth or a simple dream? For firearms charges: Ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Nearly a dozen federal indictments were unsealed in San Diego Thursday charging 23 documented gang members and associates with trafficking drugs and firearms, with the defendants largely hailing from gangs operating in the South Bay region. Three of the indicted individuals were already in custody prior to the takedown. Oct. 17, 2021 5:06 PM PT SAN DIEGO In a case prosecutors and defense attorneys agree "covers novel questions of fact and law," two Tijuana men have been indicted on drug-trafficking and. They also seized methamphetamine, heroin and firearms as part of the investigation. He was previously designated under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act for allegedly laundering money for top cartel leaders, including Joaquin "El Chapo'' Guzman Loera, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. 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They have been linked to drugs and violent crime. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Attorneys from the Department of Justice, Office of Enforcement Operations, Electronic Surveillance Unit, also provided critical assistance to the investigation. Our DA team worked tirelessly with the Violent Crimes Task Force and the U.S. Attorneys Office assisting with critical search warrants during the course of this operation.. Lock Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of California Randy Grossman was joined at 2 p.m. by officials from the DEA, IRS, San Diego County Sheriff's Department and others for a news conference, which was held at the DEA's office on Viewridge Avenue. Casino.org is the worlds leading independent online gaming authority, providing trusted online casino A locked padlock ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. Grossman said law enforcement has seized more than 200 pounds of methamphetamine, 90 firearms and more than $200,000 during the investigation. This serves as another example of what happens when you bring together dedicated law enforcement professionals using a comprehensive approach to detect, disrupt, and dismantle these criminal operations., Numerous crimes have been linked to the illegal gambling operations, said SDPD Chief David Nisleit. 922(g)(1). Authorities have also seized drugs, cash and guns in connection with the investigation. San Diego, California 92101-8807, Telephone: (619) 557-5610
Official websites use .gov Alexander Yoichi Duberek, 25, was indicted in September 2021. Maximum Penalties: Importation of Methamphetamine Charges: Life in prison with a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a $10 million fine. Officials also announced seizures of more than 220 pounds of meth and other drugs, 90 firearms and more than $250,000 in cash. Investigators conducted extensive physical surveillance in conjunction with a six-month federal wiretap operation that intercepted the communications of the networks members and was used to track their locations. The U.S. Attorneys Office said 38 defendants remain outstanding as of Thursday afternoon. 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. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. 841(a)(1)). Most locations of these establishments are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This prosecution underscores that coordinated criminal activity will be met with a coordinated and focused law enforcement response by the U.S. Attorneys Office and our law enforcement partners at the federal, state, and local level. Maximum Penalties: Importation of Methamphetamine Charges: Forty years imprisonment with a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a $5 million fine. Lock An official website of the United States government. Herrera, known by the Spanish moniker El Caimn, which translates to The Alligator, was arrested in Mexico in 2019 with his former beauty-queen girlfriend aboard a bus in the city of Quertaro. A mugshot of Edgar El Caiman Herrera Pardo from his 2019 arrest in Mexico. 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 defendants largely hail from gangs operating in the South Bay. The crackdown announced today is the latest in a series of efforts by the Department of Justice to turn the tide of the opioid epidemic and reduce the inevitable violent crime that accompanies widespread drug trafficking. The investigation leading to these federal charges focused on the criminal activities of the Riverside-based Casa Blanca Rifa criminal street gang to combat drug trafficking and associated violence in Riverside and the surrounding community. Of the 35 people arrested, 15 are part of the indicted group, and the others were arrests for state offenses. Possession with Intent to Distribute/Distribution of Methamphetamine (Title 21, U.S.C., Sec. California has seen a marked increase in underground gambling dens, sometimes known as slaphouses, in recent years. 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. lawyer found dead in Mexico speaks, O.C. Secure .gov websites use HTTPSA lock ( Our free newsletter is delivered at 8 a.m. daily. Doctor and Office Manager Indicted in Scheme to Defraud Medicare, Manufacture and Distribute Fentanyl. 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. Distribution of Methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, U.S.C., Sec. maps_and_photos_4-14-21x.pdf unsealed_sw_21mj1300.pdf 841(a)(1)). Maximum Penalties: For Maintaining Drug Involved Premises Charges: Five years imprisonment and a $500,000 fine. Main Office:
Those arrested today include the owners of the businesses and employees who acted as doormen, security and bankers; those who audit the machines; and those who collect the money. The FBIs Safe Streets Task Force received assistance during the investigation from the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department; U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the United States Marshals Service. According to the warrant, the use and sale of methamphetamine is intrinsically linked to slaphouses and acts as a draw to bring customers to the venues. DEFENDANTS Case Number: 21CR1411-DMS, DEFENDANT Case Number: 21CR1412-DMS, DEFENDANTS Case Number: 21CR1413-DMS, DEFENDANTS Case Number: 21CR1414-DMS. 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. Matthew Brehm (619) 546-8983. SAN DIEGO A federal grand jury has indicted 47 people who are allegedly associated with illegal gambling establishments that are closely tied to gangs, drugs and violence in San Diego neighborhoods. Importation of Methamphetamine (Title 21, U.S.C., Secs. He awaits extradition to the U.S. SAN DIEGO, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) - A man from San Diego was indicted in a federal court after a search of his residence revealed his connection to illegal sales of firearms and possessing. "Distribution networks like this one are the arms of violent cartels, reaching out into our communities," Grossman said. 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