Meth, Firearm Result in 10 Years of Prison January 03, 2023 JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. 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. 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? The fourth alleged leader, Israel Alejandro Vazquez-Vazquez, is charged separately in a March 2021 indictment. The investigative work led by the Violent Crimes Task Force and the arrests made have created a safer environment for all of our communities., This joint operation is a prime example of what can be accomplished when law enforcement works together to respond to community concerns over increased crime in their neighborhoods, said San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Most locations of these establishments are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Authorities also seized methamphetamine, heroin and firearms as part of the investigation. San Diego County residents face federal charges in . He pleaded guilty in July 2022 to one count of interstate domestic violence resulting in death and was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District . One has pleaded guilty and the other is awaiting trial. Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substance, in violation of Title 21, U.S.C., Secs. However, surveillance, phone records, financial documents, undercover agents and wiretaps were utilized to track the defendants communications and locations, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office. Maximum Penalties: For Distribution of Methamphetamine Charges: Life in prison with a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a $10 million fine. The defendants arrested today are expected to make their initial appearances this afternoon in the United States District Court in Riverside and downtown Los Angeles. Grossman said law enforcement has seized more than 200 pounds of methamphetamine, 90 firearms and more than $200,000 during the investigation. 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. Los Cabos also frequently targeted law enforcement in Tijuana and are accused of killing at least three police officers, according to prosecutors. Maximum Penalties: For Distribution of Methamphetamine Charge: life in prison with a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a $10 million fine. 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.. "One method utilized was moving tens of thousands of dollars in narcotics proceeds to the network's leaders via Paypal, Zelle, Venmo and Cash App accounts, in addition to shipping bulk cash.". Maximum Penalties: For Felon in Possession of Firearm Charge: Ten years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. Maximum Penalties: For Possession with Intent to Distribute and Distribution of Methamphetamine Charges: Life in prison with a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a $10 million fine. Today we sent a message to drug traffickers in our community, U.S. Attorney Robert Brewer said. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. Main Office: 841(a)(1). According to court records, it is common for gambling den owners to pay rent in cash to the owners of these properties and, in some cases, a percentage of the profits to cast a blind eye to all the foot traffic. 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 arrested this week. The defendants largely hail from gangs operating in the South Bay. These collaborative efforts continue to make our communities safe.. 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. In a Thursday afternoon news conference at the Searcy Police Department, . We have taken down the illegal gambling dens, and we have lifted a weight off our neighborhoods, said Acting U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman. FBI.gov is an official site of the U.S. Department of Justice. Maximum Penalties: For firearms charges: Ten years in prison, and a $250,000 fine. Typically, they operate 24/7 and have remained open throughout the pandemic. U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of California, Forty-Seven Defendants Charged in Illegal Gambling and Drug Indictments, San Diego Resident Sentenced to 15 Years for His Role in Fatal Fentanyl Overdose, Defendant Sentenced to 10 Years in Case Featured on HBO Documentary The Crime of the Century, Mexican National Sentenced to 108 Months Following Record-Breaking Seizure of Fentanyl and Meth, Forty Seven Defendants Charged In Illegal Gambling and Drug Indictments. Toll Free (800) 544-1106 They often spring up behind seemingly vacant storefronts in areas where retail has taken a downturn. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Prosecutors say the defendants used services like Signal and WhatsApp to communicate with each other in order to avoid law enforcement detection. The U.S. Attorneys Office reported that 44 of the 60 defendants were in custody as of Tuesday, with dozens of defendants arrested over the past month in five states. The drug-trafficking organization, known by its Spanish initials CJNG, has risen in influence in recent years and has been battling the more entrenched Sinaloa Cartel for control of the lucrative Tijuana-San Diego smuggling route. TTY: (619) 557-3450. Grossman described Operation Crystal Shielf as a "multi-jurisdictional investigation targeting a sophisticated San Diego-based network used by the Sinaloa Cartel to distribute methamphetamine throughout the United States and to smuggle drug proceeds back into Southern California.". Subscribe Their friend, Said, lived in the Lomas Verdes neighborhood where the killings occurred. Harvey, 54, of Riverside, purchased methamphetamine from their suppliers in Mexico as well as Los Angeles and Riverside counties. Both were arrested in April on charges of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and are currently in federal custody. Distribution of Methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, U.S.C., Sec. Numerous crimes have been linked to the illegal gambling operations, said SDPD Chief David Nisleit. 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. If you sell drugs in San Diego, we will find you and prosecute you to the full extent of the law.. 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. lawyer found dead in Mexico speaks, O.C. Felon in Possession of a Firearm (18, U.S.C., Secs. An official website of the United States government. Southern District of California 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. Many of these gang have long-standing ties to the Mexican Mafia. Maximum Penalties: Importation of Methamphetamine Charges: Life in prison with a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a $10 million fine. In total, law enforcement seized more than 150 pounds (68 kilograms) of methamphetamine and $31,035 in cash during this investigation. Attorneys Matthew J. Sutton and Adam Gordon for their excellent work on this case. The U.S. Attorneys Office said 38 defendants remain outstanding as of Thursday afternoon. The San Diego teens had told family they were going to Ensenada for a barbecue the night before but didnt return home as planned. He NEVER lets me be by myself. Maximum Penalties: For Possession with Intent to Distribute and Distribution of Methamphetamine Charges: Forty years imprisonment with a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a $5 million fine. San Diego, California 92101-8807, Telephone: (619) 557-5610 Maximum Penalties: For Felon in Possession of Firearm Charges: Ten years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. We won't use your email for any other purpose, and you can opt out at any time via an unsubscribe link. Federal Office Building Learn more about how we use cookies in our cookie policy. SAN DIEGO Eleven federal indictments unsealed in San Diego today charge twenty-three documented gang members and associates with heroin, methamphetamine and firearms trafficking. California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, San Diego County District Attorneys Office, Southern District of California Whoops! Lock Prosecutors say the defendants were part of a ring that smuggled thousands of pounds of meth from the cartel across the border, then distributed the drug to dozens of sub-distributors in San Diego County, across the United States and even Australia and New Zealand. Its rare to have a patron who does not use or sell methamphetamine inside these locations., We have taken down the illegal gambling dens, and we have lifted a weight off our neighborhoods, said Acting US Attorney Randy Grossman. SAN DIEGO Federal authorities unsealed indictments Thursday against 85 alleged members of East San Diego County drug distribution and money laundering networks linked to the Sinaloa Cartel, with more than half of the defendants currently in custody. Doctor and Office Manager Indicted in Scheme to Defraud Medicare, Manufacture and Distribute Fentanyl. In all, 44 firearms, more than 12 pounds of methamphetamine, $263,000 in cash, and 640 gambling machines were seized during the culmination of a two-year investigation. These establishments are equipped with electronic gambling machines which are programmed with several games of chance such as poker, blackjack, keno, jacks or better, and slot games. Attorneys Matthew J. Sutton and Adam Gordon. Help us grow with a monthly contribution. 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. No Thanks 841(a)(1)). For firearms charges: Ten years in prison, and a $250,000 fine. "Together, these cities account for about 75% of all methamphetamine traffic within the United States.". The FBI disrupted two dozen illegal gambling dens in San Diego Wednesday morning in sweeping raids across the city. 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