Operation Last Mile: DEA Tracks Down Sinaloa And Jalisco Cartel Associates Operating Within the United States

The DEA released the below information: 

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration announced the results of a year-long national operation, “Operation Last Mile,” targeting operatives, associates, and distributors affiliated with the Sinaloa and Jalisco Cartels responsible for the last mile of fentanyl and methamphetamine distribution on our streets and on social media. 

DEA’s top operational priority is to defeat the Sinaloa and Jalisco Cartels—the two drug cartels based in Mexico that are responsible for the vast majority of the fentanyl and methamphetamine that is killing Americans.  In Operation Last Mile, DEA tracked down distribution networks across the United States that are connected to the Sinaloa and Jalisco Cartels.

The Operation shows that the Sinaloa and Jalisco Cartels use violent local street gangs and criminal groups and individuals across the United States to flood American communities with huge amounts of fentanyl and methamphetamine, which drives addiction and violence and kills Americans.  It also shows that the Cartels, their members, and their associates use social media applications—like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat—and encrypted platforms—like WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, Wire, and Wickr—to coordinate logistics and reach out to victims.

Operation Last Mile comprised 1,436 investigations conducted from May 1, 2022 through May 1, 2023, in collaboration with federal, state and local law enforcement partners, and resulted in 3,337 arrests and the seizure of nearly 44 million fentanyl pills, more than 6,500 pounds of fentanyl powder, more than 91,000 pounds of methamphetamine, 8,497 firearms, and more than $100 million.  The fentanyl powder and pill seizures equate to nearly 193 million deadly doses of fentanyl removed from communities across the United States, which have prevented countless potential drug poisoning deaths.  Among these investigations, more than 1,100 cases involved social media applications and encrypted communications platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, Wire, and Wickr.

“The Sinaloa and Jalisco Cartels use multi-city distribution networks, violent local street gangs, and individual dealers across the United States to flood American communities with fentanyl and methamphetamine, drive addiction, fuel violence, and kill Americans,” said Administrator Milgram.  “What is also alarming—American social media platforms are the means by which they do so.  The Cartels use social media and encrypted platforms to run their operations and reach out to victims, and when their product kills Americans, they simply move on to try to victimize the millions of other Americans who are social media users.”

“As our communities continue to grapple with drug poisonings, the sales of illicit drugs, and the violence that so often accompanies these crimes, our local, state, and federal partnerships have never been more important,” said Eddie Garcia, President of the Major Cities Chiefs Association. “Working together and towards the same goal has paid dividends when it comes to impacting criminal networks that continue to seek death and destruction on our streets.”

“Arrests focusing on key components of the drug cartel’s illegal drug distribution chain will help all of us in our efforts to disrupt and dismantle criminal organizations who are flooding our nation with deadly drugs and violence,” said Sheriff Mike Milstead, Chair of the Drug Enforcement Committee, National Sheriffs’ Association. “The strategy of DEA to coordinate these investigations with state/local/tribal law enforcement agencies has once again proven effective and we applaud the results of this nationwide investigation.”

“The Major County Sheriffs of America (MCSA) commends the Drug Enforcement Administration for their efforts during Operation Last Mile. The MCSA is proud to stand alongside our partners at the DEA to end this crisis and protect our citizens from the cartels,” said Sheriff Dennis Lemma, MCSA President. “The results of this yearlong investigation are unprecedented and demonstrate the importance of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies working together.”

Operation Last Mile is an example of DEA’s network-based approach to take out Sinaloa and Jalisco Cartel members and associates in the United States and across the globe, stop fentanyl, and save American lives.  In April 2023, the DEA and our federal partners announced the indictment of 28 members and associates of the Sinaloa Cartel operating in Mexico, China, and Central America, including the leaders of the Cartel known as the “Chapitos.” 

Netflix's 'Narco-Saints' Is A Terrific Crime Series

I've been watching the crime thriller series Narco-Saints on Netflix, and I'm enjoying the well-made South Korean drama (with English subtitles).

The series is about a South Korean businessman who gets entangled with a South Korean drug lord in Suriname in South America. He is recruited by South Korean intelligence/law enforcement to infiltrate the Korean's drug organization. 

The film is much like Netflix's fine Narcos series, only with Koreans and other Asians in the lead roles.

The crime series is based on a true story, although the producers and writers have added fictional aspects to the story, such as making the drug lord a pastor who uses his religious organization to smuggle drugs and commit other crimes.   

If you would like to watch another good dramatic and suspenseful series about drug trafficking, major criminals, and murder, I suggest you check out Narco-Saints.              

Philadelphia Cosa Nostra Organized Crime Associate Sentenced To 10 Years in Prison For Racketeering and Drug Dealing

 PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Victor DeLuca, a.k.a. “Big Vic,” 57, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was sentenced to ten years in prison and ten years of supervised release by Senior United States District Judge R. Barclay Surrick for racketeering conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.

In November 2021, the defendant pleaded guilty to charges in a superseding indictment stemming from his involvement in criminal activity with and for the Philadelphia La Cosa Nostra, also known as the LCN, the mafia, and the mob. The Philadelphia LCN is one of a number of LCN organized crime families based in various cities throughout the United States. The goal of the LCN in Philadelphia and elsewhere is to make money through the commission of various crimes, including illegal gambling, loansharking, drug trafficking, and extortion.

According to court documents, and the defendant’s guilty plea on November 29, 2021, DeLuca was an associate of the LCN who worked with LCN members and associates to commit crimes such as drug trafficking, extortion, and loansharking, among other crimes. The defendant pled guilty to his involvement with the LCN for that conduct as well as for an effort in April 2017 to obtain two pounds of methamphetamine, intended for later resale, on behalf of other LCN members and associates.

“Even though the Philadelphia mob is not what it was in the last century, the organization and its criminal activities are still very much a problem and are damaging the communities in which it operates,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to prosecuting anyone who is committing serious federal crimes like these, and we will not rest until the mob is nothing but a bad memory.”

“As a longtime associate of the Philadelphia LCN, Victor DeLuca earned his keep through drug-dealing, loansharking, and extortion - pretty much the antithesis of an honest day’s work,” said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “His actions caused harm to individual victims and the community alike and it’s gratifying he’s now been brought to justice. The FBI will continue to keep organized crime squarely in our sights as we work to make the city of Philadelphia a safer place.”

The case was investigated the FBI, including its Philadelphia Field Division and Atlantic City Resident Agency, as part of a long-running investigation, with the assistance of the Philadelphia Police Department, the Pennsylvania State Police and the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan Ortiz and Justin Ashenfelter of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and Trial Attorneys Alexander Gottfried and Kristen Taylor of the Department of Justice Criminal Division, Organized Crime and Gang Section. 

Note: Although the federal government used the term LCN for La Cosa Nostra, the proper name for the organized crime group is Cosa Nostra, Italian for "Our Thing." La Cosa Nostra would be "The Our Thing."  

Wife Of “El Chapo” Sentenced To Prison For Drug Trafficking And Money Laundering

 The U.S. Justice Department released the below information: 

The wife of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman Loera, leader of the Mexican drug-trafficking organization known as the Sinaloa Cartel, was sentenced today to 36 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release for charges related to international drug trafficking, money laundering, and a criminal violation of the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act (the Kingpin Act).   

Emma Coronel Aispuro (seen in the above mugshot), 32, a dual U.S.-Mexican citizen, pleaded guilty on June 10 to a three-count criminal information. According to court documents, Coronel Aispuro conspired with Guzman Loera and other members of the Sinaloa cartel to traffic five kilograms or more of cocaine, one kilogram or more of heroin, 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, and 1,000 kilograms or more of marijuana, knowing that these narcotics would be transported into and distributed in the United States. She also conspired to launder the proceeds of that narcotics trafficking and engaged in transactions and dealings in the property of her husband, Guzman Loera, who the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control had designated a Significant Foreign Narcotics Trafficker. 

Court documents indicate that beginning in or about 2011 and continuing to at least Jan. 19, 2017, Coronel Aispuro was a co-conspirator in the activities of the Sinaloa Cartel, an organization which was led by her husband, Guzman Loera. Notably, after Guzman Loera was captured by Mexican authorities on Feb. 22, 2014, Coronel Aispuro played a critical role in facilitating his escape from a Mexican prison, which ultimately occurred on July 11, 2015, by conducting planning meetings with other co-conspirators and by coordinating the movement of drug proceeds to finance the escape. 

To facilitate the escape, Coronel Aispuro assisted in the purchase of a property near the prison and provided Guzman Loera with a watch that contained a GPS tracking device, allowing co-conspirators to dig a tunnel from that nearby property, under the prison, to Guzman Loera’s cell. Coronel Aispuro even relayed messages from Guzman Loera to other members of the Sinaloa Cartel regarding the operation of their illicit activities while he was detained. 

At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Court Judge Rudolph Contreras also entered a forfeiture money judgment against Coronel Aispuro in the amount of $1,499,970, representing proceeds of and property obtained by Coronel Aispuro as a result of her drug-trafficking activities.

Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Acting Assistant Director Jay Greenberg of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division made the announcement. 

This investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Washington Field Office with significant assistance from other FBI Field Offices, the Drug Enforcement Administration and Homeland Security Investigations. The Justice Department thanks the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the Department of the Treasury for their support and contributions to the case.

Deputy Chief Anthony Nardozzi and Assistant Deputy Chief Kate Wagner of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section prosecuted the case. 

‘Narcos: Mexico’ To End With Season 3 On Netflix; Premiere Date, First-Look Photos & Teaser Released

I’ve watched Netfilix’s Narcos crime series from the beginning and enjoyed it thoroughly. 

From the series’ first tale of Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar to the murder of DEA special agent Kiki Camarena and the aftermath in Mexico, the series has been consistently first rate.    

So I was pleased to read Rosy Cordero’s report at Deadline.com that Narcos will be returning to Netflix with the third season in Mexico. 

Netflix’s Narcos: Mexico returns with season 3 on Nov. 5 — its final season in Mexico. It is as yet unknown if the franchise will continue with another installment after the original series, set in Colombia, and the Mexico offshoot, both of which ran for three seasons. Executive producers previously have said their intention was to follow the drug trade across various countries.

The new season is set in the ’90s, when the globalization of the drug business ignites. 

It examines the war that breaks out after Félix Gallardo’s (Diego Luna) arrest. As newly independent cartels struggle to survive political upheaval and escalating violence, a new generation of Mexican kingpins emerge. But in this war, truth is the first casualty – and every arrest, murder, and take-done only pushes real victory further away. 

You can read the rest of the of the piece and watch a video of the trailer via the below link:

‘Narcos: Mexico’ To End With Season 3 On Netflix – Deadline 

The Best ‘Jack’ In The City: My Philadelphia Weekly 'Crime Beat' Column On The Two Assistant U.S. Attorneys Who Took Down A South Philly Drug Gang.

Philadelphia Weekly published my Crime Beat column on two assistant U.S. attorneys who took down a South Philly drug gang. 

Basil Bey – the leader of a major drug trafficking gang in South Philadelphia – was sentenced to 19 and a half years in prison, Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams’ office announced recently.

Bey was convicted in 2017, but legal appeals delayed his sentencing. Several of his criminal associates were also convicted and sentenced. 

I reached out to the two veteran assistant U.S. attorneys who prosecuted this case, Jason Bologna and Kevin Jayne, to find out some details. 

“I believe it was a significant prosecution. A total of 10 people were indicted for operating a drug business 24/7,” Bologna said. 

“Basically, the drug business was organized around a phone. People would call the phone and agree to a price and time to meet the drug dealer, and they would purchase either heroin, laced with fentanyl, crack cocaine, or some combination of those. The scope of running this operation day in and day out was staggering. It was, to be blunt, a blight upon the South Philadelphia community.”

Jaynen added: “I made the point at Mr. Bey’s sentencing that the number of contacts on the drug phone being used for this business were on the order of something close to 400,000.” 

The large volume of calls, Jayne noted, was indicative of the level of business the operation was doing in South Philadelphia. 

Bologba said a good number of confidential sources were used by the FBI to make more than 35 drug buys, which were videotaped. 

You can read the rest of the column via the below link:

The best ‘jack’ in town - Philadelphia Weekly 

U.S. Citizen Charged With Violating The Kingpin Act: Stepson Of Mexican Drug Kingpin Rafael Caro Quintero Transferred Property Into His Name To Evade Treasury Department Sanctions Program

NEW YORK – A complaint was unsealed on July 6th in the Eastern District of New York charging Bryant Espinoza Aguilar, the stepson of Sinaloa Cartel leader and notorious fugitive Rafael Caro Quintero, with conspiring to commit violations of the Kingpin Act, an economic sanctions program against narcotics traffickers that is administered and enforced by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of Treasury. Specifically, Espinoza Aguilar is charged with assisting Caro Quintero and his common law wife by putting their assets in his own name, thereby violating OFAC’s prohibition on U.S. Citizens from conducting financial transactions with specially designated narcotics traffickers. The complaint was announced by DEA Acting Administrator Timothy J. Shea, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Richard P. Donoghue, Homeland Security Investigations New York Field Office Special Agent-in-Charge Peter C. Fitzhugh, New York City Police Commissioner Dermot F. Shea, and New York State Police Superintendent Keith M. Corlett announced the charge. According to court filings, OFAC designated Caro Quintero as a specially designated narcotics trafficker in 2000, and designated Caro Quintero’s wife as a specially designated narcotics trafficker in 2016. The OFAC designations stem from Caro Quintero’s criminal history as the leader of the Caro Quintero drug trafficking organization, a faction of the Mexican organized crime syndicate known as the Sinaloa Cartel. Between January 1980 and January 2017, Caro Quintero led a continuing criminal enterprise responsible for importing into the United States and distributing massive amounts of illegal narcotics and conspiring to murder persons who posed a threat to his narcotics enterprise. The murder conspiracy includes Caro Quintero’s kidnapping and murder of DEA Special Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, in February 1985. On August 9, 2013, a Mexican tribunal ruled that Caro Quintero could be released from custody because he had been tried improperly in a federal tribunal, rather than a state tribunal. The Mexican tribunal’s finding was later overturned, but Caro Quintero remains at large as a fugitive from Mexican and U.S. justice. The complaint charges Espinoza Aguilar transferred property owned by his mother into his own name and bribed a public official to change the name of the property’s owner on public registry documents to protect the property from being restrained as a result his mother’s OFAC designation. “On February 7, 1985, DEA was forever changed when Special Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena was kidnapped, tortured, and murdered in Guadalajara, Mexico,” said DEA Acting Administrator Shea. “We will never forget his sacrifice and remain steadfast in our pursuit of the man responsible for his death, Rafael Caro Quintero, and those that continue to protect and enable his criminal activities. Let today’s action be a clear message to Caro Quintero, his family, and his criminal associates — we will stop at nothing in our pursuit for justice for SA Camarena.” “As alleged, the defendant acted as a straw man to protect property purchased with the illicit, blood-stained proceeds of his stepfather’s drug trafficking empire from being seized by the government,” said U.S. Attorney Donoghue. “This Office and our partners at the Drug Enforcement Administration are using every legal measure at our disposal to hold accountable those enablers of Caro Quintero and bring them to justice.” Mr. Donoghue expressed his grateful appreciation to the DEA’s Raleigh Division Office for its assistance on the case. “While his stepfather, a Sinaloa Cartel leader, was specially designated by OFAC as a narcotics trafficker twenty years ago, Espinoza Aguilar is alleged to have violated the Kingpin Act by transferring his stepfather’s assets into his name, seeking to evade the sanctions program,” said HSI Special Agent-in-Charge Fitzhugh. “HSI’s partnership with the DEA and its Strike Force is one in which collaboration is key, and will continue to focus on arresting those who pursue ways to circumvent the law and hide their criminal acts.” “I commend the dedicated teamwork of the New York Strike Force which was instrumental in working to bring this suspect to justice. This defendant attempted to protect and hide the profits of dangerous narcotics that were our communities, profits made at the expense of the safety of our communities. We will continue to be vigilant in working together with our law enforcement partners to keep our neighborhoods safe, to keep harmful narcotics off our streets and those who commit these types of crimes, or protect those who do, are held accountable,” said NYSP Superintendent Corlett. “This case is another example of our joint responsibilities to eradicate international drug trafficking. Our NYPD detectives, and state and local partners, stop at nothing to stem the flow of illegal narcotics,” said NYPD Commissioner Shea. The investigation was led by the New York Strike Force, a crime-fighting unit comprising federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies supported by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force and the New York/New Jersey High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area. The Strike Force is based at the DEA’s New York Division and includes agents and officers of the DEA, New York City Police Department, New York State Police, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Marshals Service, New York National Guard, Clarkstown Police Department, U.S. Coast Guard, Port Washington Police Department and New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision. The charges in the complaint are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The government’s case is being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Michael Robotti and Erin Reid are in charge of the prosecution.

Alleged Narcotrafficker And High-Ranking Cartel Member Extradited From Uruguay To The United States

The U.S. Justice Department released the below:

A Mexican national will have his initial appearance in federal court in the District of Columbia later today on charges related to his alleged involvement in a criminal conspiracy to distribute cocaine and methamphetamine.

Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), made the announcement.

Gerardo Gonzalez Valencia, aka “Lalo,” 43, arrived at Dulles International Airport  yesterday evening after being extradited from Uruguay, where he was arrested in April 2016.  The indictment charges Gonzalez Valencia with an international conspiracy to distribute cocaine and methamphetamine, intending and knowing that those substances would be unlawfully imported into the United States.  The indictment alleges that Gonzalez Valencia’s criminal conspiracy ran from 2003 to 2016.

“The Department of Justice will never waver in our commitment to disrupt and dismantle CJNG and its enablers, wherever they are found,” said Assistant Attorney General Benczkowski.  “Thanks to the dedicated efforts of our law enforcement partners in Uruguay, Valencia Gonzalez now will be held to account in the United States for his alleged crimes.”

“Today’s extradition and arrest of Mr. Gonzalez-Valencia deals another blow to the leadership of the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion,” said DEA Acting Administrator Dhillon. “Mr. Gonzalez-Valencia is alleged to have distributed significant quantities of cocaine and meth and will now face justice in the United States.  We are grateful for the outstanding partnership with the National Police and Government of Uruguay during this long term investigation.”

The charges contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The case was investigated by DEA Los Angeles.  Trial Attorneys Brett Reynolds, Kaitlin Sahni, Cole Radovich, Kate Naseef and Acting Deputy Chief Anthony Nardozzi of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section are prosecuting the case.

The Justice Department extends its gratitude to the government of Uruguay for making the extradition possible and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) for its support.  The Criminal Division’s Office of Enforcement Operations provided assistance in support of this investigation and the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the defendant’s extradition from Uruguay.

Project Python: DEA-Led Operation Nets More Than 600 Arrests Targeting Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación

The Drug Enforcement Administration released the below information:

WASHINGTON – The Justice Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration today announced the results of Project Python, a DEA-led multilateral interagency operation encompassing all global investigations and related disruption activities targeting the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG).  

This announcement marks the successful conclusion of six months of investigative and enforcement activity targeting CJNG, culminating in large scale arrests throughout the country within the past week. Project Python has resulted in the arrests of more than 600 CJNG associates, 350 indictments, as well as significant seizures of money and drugs. 

“Project Python is the single largest strike by U.S. authorities against CJNG, and this is just the beginning,” said Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon. “This strategic and coordinated project exemplifies DEA’s mission: to disrupt, dismantle, and destroy drug trafficking organizations around the world and bring their leaders to justice.  Today, DEA has disrupted CJNG’s operations, and there is more to come as DEA continues its relentless attack on this remorseless criminal organization.” 

“Project Python marks the most comprehensive action to date in the Department of Justice’s campaign to disrupt, dismantle, and ultimately destroy CJNG,” said Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Criminal Division.  “When President Trump signed an Executive Order prioritizing the dismantlement of transnational criminal organizations, the Department of Justice answered the call and took direct aim at CJNG.  We deemed CJNG one of the highest-priority transnational organized crime threats we face.  And with Project Python, we are delivering results in the face of that threat for the American people.” 

“DEA is addressing the threat, both internationally and domestically.  We prioritize our resources by identifying and targeting the worlds biggest and most powerful drug traffickers and their organizations,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian D. Boyle.  “Project Python demonstrates the strength and continued commitment of our federal, state and international law enforcement partners.” 

The Justice Department and its law enforcement partners are committed to fulfilling the President’s Executive Order 13773 to identify, interdict, disrupt and dismantle transnational criminal organizations. The department designated CNJG as one of the top transnational criminal groups targeted as part of carrying out this executive order, and DEA instituted Project Python as part of this ongoing effort.  

CJNG is one of the fastest growing transnational criminal organizations in Mexico, and among the most prolific methamphetamine producers in the world. It is responsible for a significant proportion of drugs entering the United States, and elevated levels of violence in Mexico. With methamphetamine abuse and overdose deaths on the rise, Project Python aims to disrupt CJNG’s ability to distribute methamphetamine and other drugs throughout the United States by attacking the group at all levels. 

Federal law enforcement has taken a number of steps to degrade CJNG’s ability to operate in the United States. Today, the Justice Department and DEA announced a superseding indictment on charges of alleged continuing criminal enterprise against Nemesio Ruben Oseguera Cervantes, also known as “El Mencho,” the undisputed leader of CJNG. Last month, El Mencho’s son, Ruben Oseguera Gonzalez, also known as “Menchito,” and second in command of CJNG, was extradited from Mexico to the United States on charges of alleged drug trafficking and firearm use in relation to drug trafficking activities. On Feb. 26, 2020, El Mencho’s daughter, Jessica Johanna Oseguera Gonzalez, was arrested in the United States on financial charges related to her alleged criminal violation of the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act. 

Additionally, DEA has worked with its interagency partners to apply further pressure to CJNG.  The U.S. Department of Treasury has designated El Mencho as a “specially designated narcotics trafficker” pursuant to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act, and the U.S. Department of State has issued one of the largest narcotics rewards ever – $10 million – for information leading to the arrest of El Mencho.  

The efforts highlighted in the more than 600 arrests nationwide are illustrative of the significant reach the CJNG has in manufacturing, importing, and distributing a wide array of illegal narcotics within the United States and the negative impact on the fabric of our local communities. The proceeds from the local distribution of these narcotics are repatriated back to Mexico and further fuel transnational organized crime organizations such as the CJNG. The Department of Justice and its law enforcement partners will continue to vigorously fight this scourge against the United States.  

The Department of Justice’s multi-agency Special Operations Division, federal prosecutors from the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section of the Department’s Criminal Division, the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs and Office of Enforcement Operations provided invaluable support to this operation. 

DEA Take Down Of Drug Lord Pablo Escobar: My Washington Times Review of 'Manhunters: How We Took Down Pablo Escobar'

The Washington Times ran my review of Manhunters: How We Took Down Pablo Escobar.

The general public first became aware of Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agents Steve Murphy and Javier Pena when they were portrayed by actors in the Netflix series, “Narcos.”

The first two seasons of the outstanding drama series was about the takedown of the world’s most wanted criminal in the 1990s, Pablo Escobar.

In the 1980s and early 1990s, Pablo Escobar was the world’s most wealthy and powerful criminal. He was the head of the Medellin Cartel, the leading drug cartel in Colombia. He was a vicious, brutal, mass murderer. He made millions by flooding America and the world with cocaine, and he oversaw a reign of terror in Colombia.

He had his men plant a bomb aboard an airliner that killed every passenger on board. He backed the M-19 guerrillas that attacked the Palace of Justice in Bogota, in which judges, soldiers and innocents were killed. He had his men plant car bombs around the country that killed and injured many innocent people. He had his hit men, called “sicarios,” assassinate thousands of criminal rivals, police officers, soldiers, journalists and politicians.

In “Manhunters,” retired DEA agents Steve Murphy and Javier Pena tell of their role in the hunt, capture and death of Pablo Escobar. In the first part of the book, the two DEA agents write of their careers and adventures prior to being assigned to Colombia. Mr. Murphy was assigned to Miami, a hotbed of drug traffickers and murders, and Mr. Pena was assigned to Texas on the dangerous Mexican border.

You can read the rest of the review via the below link:

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/dec/3/book-review-manhunters-how-we-took-down-pablo-esco/

Former Honduran Congressman Tony Hernández Convicted Of Conspiring To Import Cocaine Into The United States And Related Firearms And False-Statements Offenses

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) released the below information:

NEW YORK - On October 18, DEA Special Operations Division Special Agent in Charge Wendy C. Woolcock and U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Geoffrey S. Berman announced that a jury returned a guilty verdict against Juan Antonio Hernández Alvarado, aka “Tony Hernández,” on all four counts in the superseding indictment, which included cocaine importation, weapons and false-statements offenses. Hernández is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 17, 2020.

“This conviction serves as a warning to all those who traffic illegal drugs into our country with complete disregard for human life,” said Special Agent in Charge Woolcock. “The United States will not tolerate any individual or organization that seeks to gain profit through violence and corruption. The DEA will continue to stand with its partners to pursue justice regardless of social status. No one is exempt from being held accountable for predatory criminal activity.”

“Former Honduran congressman Tony Hernandez was involved in all stages of the trafficking through Honduras of multi-ton loads of cocaine that were destined for the U.S.,” said U.S. Attorney Berman. “Hernandez bribed law enforcement officials to protect drug shipments, solicited large bribes from major drug traffickers and arranged machinegun-toting security for cocaine shipments. Today, Hernandez stands convicted of his crimes and faces the possibility of a lengthy prison sentence.”

Hernández is a former member of the National Congress of Honduras, the brother of the current President of Honduras and a large-scale drug trafficker who worked with other drug traffickers in, among other places, Colombia, Honduras and Mexico, to import cocaine into the United States. From at least in or about 2004, up to and including in or about 2018, Hernández helped process, receive, transport and distribute multi-ton loads of cocaine that arrived in Honduras via planes, helicopters and go-fast vessels. Hernández controlled cocaine laboratories in Honduras and Colombia, at which some of his cocaine was stamped with the symbol “TH” for “Tony Hernández.”

Hernández also coordinated and, at times, participated in providing heavily armed security for cocaine shipments transported within Honduras, including by members of the Honduran National Police and drug traffickers armed with machineguns and other weapons.  Hernández also used members of the Honduran National Police to coordinate the drug-related murder of Franklin Arita in 2011, and he used drug-trafficking associates to murder a drug worker known as “Chino” in 2013. In connection with these activities, Hernández participated in the importation of almost 200,000 kilograms of cocaine into the United States. 

Hernández made millions of dollars through his cocaine trafficking, and he funneled millions of dollars of drug proceeds to National Party campaigns to impact Honduran presidential elections in 2009, 2013 and 2017. Between 2010 and at least 2013, one of Hernández’s principal co-conspirators was former Sinaloa Cartel leader Joaquín Archivaldo Guzmán Loera, aka “Chapo.” During that period, Hernández helped Guzmán Loera with numerous large cocaine shipments and delivered a $1 million bribe from Guzmán Loera to Hernández’s brother in connection with the 2013 national elections in Honduras.    

Hernández, 42, was convicted on four counts:  (1) conspiring to import cocaine into the United States, which carries a mandatory minimum prison term of 10 years and a maximum prison term of life; (2) using and carrying machine guns during, and possessing machine guns in furtherance of, the cocaine-importation conspiracy, which carries a mandatory consecutive prison term of 30 years; (3) conspiring to use and carry machine guns during, and to possess machine guns in furtherance of, the cocaine-importation conspiracy, which carries a maximum prison term of life; and (4) making false statements to federal agents, which carries a maximum prison term of five years.

This case is being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Terrorism and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amanda L. Houle, Jason A. Richman, Matthew J. Laroche and Emil J. Bove III are in charge of the prosecution.

Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, Sinaloa Cartel leader, Sentenced To Life In Prison Plus 30 Years Drug Kingpin Was Convicted Of Running A Continuing Criminal Enterprise And Other Drug-Related Charges Including Murder Conspiracies

WThe Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) released the below information:

WASHINGTON – Joaquin Archivaldo Guzman Loera (seen in the above photo as he was arrested by Mexican police), known by various aliases, including “El Chapo” and “El Rapido,” was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Brian M. Cogan to a life term of imprisonment plus 30 years to run consecutive to the life sentence for being a principal leader of a continuing criminal enterprise – the Mexican organized crime syndicate known as the Sinaloa Cartel – a charge that includes 26 drug-related violations and one murder conspiracy. The court also ordered Guzman Loera to pay $12.6 billion in forfeiture.

Guzman Loera was convicted by a federal jury on Feb. 12, 2019, following a three-month trial, of all 10 counts of the superseding indictment, including narcotics trafficking, using a firearm in furtherance of his drug crimes and participating in a money laundering conspiracy.

The sentence was announced by Attorney General William P. Barr, Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Richard P. Donoghue for the Eastern District of New York, U.S. Attorney Ariana Fajardo Orshan for the Southern District of Florida, Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Director Christopher A. Wray of the FBI, Acting Secretary Kevin McAleenan of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Executive Associate Director Derek Benner of U.S. Immigration and Customs

Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, Acting U.S. Marshal Bryan T. Mullee of the Eastern District of New York, New York City Police Department Commissioner James P. O’Neill and New York State Police Superintendent Keith M. Corlett. 

The evidence at trial established that Guzman Loera was a principal leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, a Mexico-based international drug trafficking organization responsible for importing and distributing more than a million kilograms of cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamine and heroin in the United States. The evidence included testimony from 14 cooperating witnesses, including Sinaloa Cartel members Rey and Vicente Zambada, Miguel Martinez, Tirso Martinez, Damaso Lopez and Alex Cifuentes; narcotics seizures totaling over 130,000 kilograms of cocaine and heroin; weapons, including AK-47s and a rocket-propelled grenade launcher; ledgers; text messages; videos; photographs and intercepted recordings that detailed the drug trafficking activity of Guzman Loera and his co-conspirators over a 25-year period from January 1989 until December 2014.    

From the mid-1980s until his arrest in Mexico in 1993, Guzman Loera was a mid-level operative of the Sinaloa Cartel, earning a name for himself and the nickname “El Rapido” for how quickly he transported drugs from Mexico to the United States for the Colombian cartels. After he escaped from a Mexican prison in 2001 by hiding in a laundry cart, Guzman Loera formed an alliance with fugitive co-defendant Ismael Zambada Garcia and, together, they became the preeminent leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel. Guzman Loera enforced his will and maintained control of his drug empire through an army of lethal bodyguards and a sophisticated communications network.

The trial highlighted the methods Guzman Loera and his organization used to transport the cartel’s multi-ton shipments of narcotics into the United States, including fishing boats, submarines, carbon fiber airplanes, trains with secret compartments and transnational underground tunnels. Once the narcotics were in the United States, they were sold to wholesale distributors in New York, Miami, Atlanta, Chicago, Arizona, Los Angeles and elsewhere. Guzman Loera then used various methods to launder billions of dollars of drug proceeds, including bulk cash smuggling from the United States to Mexico, U.S.-based insurance companies, reloadable debit cards and numerous shell companies, including a juice company and a fish flour company.

Guzman Loera and his organization relied upon violence to maintain its power throughout the region and beyond. Numerous co-conspirators testified that Guzman Loera directed his hitmen to kidnap, interrogate, torture and slaughter members of rival drug organizations, at times carrying out acts of violence himself. As part of its arsenal, the Sinaloa Cartel had access to weapons, including grenades and a rocket-propelled grenade launcher. Guzman Loera’s personal arsenal included a gold plated AK-47 and three diamond-encrusted .38 caliber handguns, one emblazoned with his initials, “JGL.”

Guzman Loera and his organization also relied on a vast network of corrupt government officials and employees to protect and further the interests of the Sinaloa Cartel. They included local law enforcement officers, prison guards, high-ranking members of the armed forces and elected office holders. In exchange, the Cartel paid these individuals millions of dollars in bribes.

“The long road that brought ‘El Chapo’ Guzman Loera to a United States courtroom is lined with drugs, death, and destruction, but ends today with justice,” said Assistant Attorney General Benczkowski. “Thanks to the unflagging efforts of the Department of Justice and the law enforcement community over the past 25 years, this notorious leader of one of the largest drug trafficking organizations in the Western hemisphere, the Sinaloa Cartel, will spend the rest of his life behind bars.”

“Guzman Loera’s day of reckoning has finally come,” said EDNY U.S. Attorney Donoghue. “Never again will he pour poison into our country, or make millions as innocent lives are lost. We cannot undo the violence, misery and devastation inflicted on countless individuals and communities as result of his organization’s sale of tons of illegal drugs for more than two decades, but we can ensure that he spends every minute of every day in prison. The same fate awaits those who would take his place. I thank the brave members of law enforcement, here and abroad, for their tireless efforts that have finally secured justice in this case.”

“The life sentence imposed today is the only just result for someone who spent a lifetime spreading his poison throughout our country,” said SDFL U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan. “The impact of keeping former Sinaloa Cartel leader Joaquin Guzman Loera behind bars, for the rest of his life, cannot be overstated: the world will now be shielded from his brutality. Thanks to the unyielding efforts of this team, the public was finally able to see how Guzman Loera used any means necessary to control his ruthless empire, including kidnapping, corruption, torture, and murder. Our U.S. Attorney’s Offices continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with our domestic and foreign law enforcement partners to protect our citizens from the scourge of illicit drugs.”

“This sentencing shows the world that no matter how protected or powerful you are, DEA will ensure that you face justice,” said DEA Acting Administrator Dhillon. “This result would not have been possible without the dedication and determination of so many brave men and women of the DEA, who worked tirelessly to see the world’s most dangerous, prolific drug trafficker behind bars in the United States. This is a huge victory for the rule of law, for thousands of current and retired DEA agents and analysts worldwide, and for all of our law enforcement partners here, in Mexico, and across the globe.”

“Let today’s sentencing show the world that Joaquin ‘El Chapo’ Guzman has not escaped the American justice system and, now, will finally be held accountable for his many years of criminal behavior,” said NYPD Commissioner O’Neill. “I want to thank the members of the DEA, the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service, HSI, the New York State Police and the NYPD detectives on the Drug Enforcement Task Force for their hard work on this investigation and trial.”

“With this sentencing, justice has been served,” said NYSP Superintendent Corlett. “For two decades, this individual used extreme violence, bribes, and any means necessary to bring dangerous and deadly drugs into our country and state. This sentence should serve as a reminder that no one is above the law. I applaud our partners in law enforcement for their tireless work on this case, bringing an end to the destruction this man, and this enterprise caused for decades.”

The government’s case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gina Parlovecchio, Michael Robotti, Patricia Notopoulos and Hiral Mehta from the Eastern District of New York; Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam Fels, Andrea Goldbarg and Lynn Kirkpatrick from the Southern District of Florida; and Trial Attorneys Amanda Liskamm, Anthony Nardozzi, Brett Reynolds and Michael Lang of the U.S. Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section.

The case was investigated by the DEA, ICE HSI and the FBI, in cooperation with Mexican, Ecuadorian, Netherlands, Dominican and Colombian law enforcement authorities. 

Substantial assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in the Northern District of Illinois, Western District of Texas, Southern District of New York, Southern District of California, District of New Hampshire, District of Arizona and Eastern District of Virginia. The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs of the Criminal Division played an integral role in securing the extradition of Guzman Loera to the United States, in cooperation with authorities of the Mexican government, without which his prosecution would not have been possible. The investigative efforts in this case were coordinated with the Department of Justice Special Operations Division, comprising agents, analysts and attorneys from the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section; DEA New York; DEA Miami; FBI Washington Field Office; FBI New York Field Office; FBI Miami Field Office; HSI New York; HSI Nogales; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Marshals Service; IRS Criminal Investigation; U.S. Bureau of Prisons; NYPD and New York State Police.

This case is the result of the ongoing efforts by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, a partnership that brings together the combined expertise and unique abilities of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, dismantle and prosecute high level members of drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations and enterprises.

Federal Government Conducts Unprecedented Seizure Of Massive Cargo Ship In Philadelphia After Finding Almost 20 Tons Of Cocaine On Board

The U.S. Attorney’s Office Eastern District of Pennsylvania released the below information:

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney William M. McSwain announced today that, on July 4, 2019, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) executed a seizure warrant obtained by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and seized the cargo vessel MSC Gayane as being subject to possible forfeiture to the United States. 

On June 17, 2019, federal, state, and local law enforcement agents boarded the MSC Gayane when it arrived at Packer Marine Terminal in Philadelphia and seized 19.76 tons of cocaine.  Since that time, crew members of the MSC Gayane have been charged with knowingly and intentionally conspiring with each other and others to possess more than five kilograms of cocaine on board a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States.  The federal criminal investigation is ongoing.

As a result of this seizure, the MSC Gayane – a ship built in 2018 and measuring approximately two city blocks in length – has been placed under the custody of CBP and shall remain so until further proceedings or Order of the Court.

“A seizure of a vessel this massive is complicated and unprecedented – but it is appropriate because the circumstances here are also unprecedented.  We found nearly 20 tons of cocaine hidden on this ship,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “When a vessel brings such an outrageous amount of deadly drugs into Philadelphia waters, my Office and our agency partners will pursue the most severe consequences possible against all involved parties in order to protect our district – and our country.”

“The MSC Gayane is the largest vessel seized in U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s 230-year history and follows the record seizure of almost 20-tons of cocaine discovered on the vessel,” said Casey Durst, CBP’s Director of Field Operations in Baltimore. “Seizing a vessel of this size is an unusual enforcement action for CBP, but is indicative of the serious consequences associated with an alleged conspiracy by crewmembers and others to smuggle a record load of dangerous drugs through the United States.  This action serves as a reminder for all shipping lines and vessel masters of their responsibilities under U.S. and international law to implement and enforce stringent security measures to prevent smuggling attempts such as this.”

“The seizure of the MSC Gayane is another significant step toward holding accountable those who perpetuate drug smuggling crimes both here in Philadelphia and around the world,” said Marlon Miller, Special Agent in Charge of HSI Philadelphia. “HSI, in collaboration with CBP, the Coast Guard, and our state and local law enforcement partners continue to aggressively work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania to comprehensively investigate this case and bring to justice those who had roles in this drug smuggling venture.”

The case is being investigated by the United States Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations, together with a multi-agency team of federal, state, and local partners.

DEA: Extradition Of Pakistani Man For Attempted Heroin Importation - Muhammed Khalid Khan Is Charged With Attempting To Send Hundreds Of Kilograms Of Heroin For Distribution In New York City And Laundering Money Into The United States

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) released the below information:

NEW YORK – DEA Special Operations Division Special Agent in Charge Christopher T. Tersigni and U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Geoffrey S. Berman announced today the extradition of Muhammad Khalid Khan for attempting to import heroin into the United States and laundering what he believed to be narcotics proceeds into the United States. Khan was taken into custody by Nigerian authorities in Lagos, Nigeria, on Feb. 9, 2019, and extradited to the United States today. He will be presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kevin Nathaniel Fox later today. An initial conference is scheduled before U.S. District Judge Vernon S. Broderick, to whom the case is assigned, for May 1, 2019.  

“Khan’s extradition to the United States means he will no longer be able to ship poison into our communities,” Special Agent in Charge Christopher T. Tersigni. “We look forward to bringing him to justice to answer for the crimes he is accused of.”

“As alleged, Muhammad Khalid Khan was making high-level heroin deals to send multi-hundred kilogram shipments at a time to the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Berman. “Unbeknownst to Khan, he was dealing with undercover law enforcement. The extradition of Khan from halfway around the world to face justice in New York is emblematic of this office’s commitment to keep deadly heroin out of our neighborhoods.”

According to the allegations contained in the complaint and indictment, which were unsealed today:

Beginning in October 2017, Khan, an Asia-based drug trafficker, began talking to and meeting with individuals who he believed were heroin traffickers interested in purchasing multi-kilogram quantities of heroin for importation into the United States and Australia. Those individuals were, in fact, an undercover foreign law enforcement agent, a confidential source working at the DEA’s direction and an undercover DEA agent posing as a New York-based heroin distributor. Between approximately October 2017 and June 2018, Khan attempted to send hundreds of kilograms of heroin hidden in maritime shipping containers to New York City and Australia, and laundered hundreds of thousands of dollars of what he believed to be narcotics proceeds from Australia into the United States. In January 2018, Khan sold a four-kilogram heroin sample to the undercover agents, with the understanding that two kilograms of heroin would be sold in the United States, and two kilograms would be sold in Australia. Following the success of this sample shipment, Khan planned to supply larger, multi-hundred kilogram quantities of heroin for importation to and distribution within the United States and Australia. 

The indictment charges Khan, 31, a citizen of Pakistan, in three counts: (1) attempting to import heroin into the United States, (2) international promotional money laundering and (3) international concealment money laundering. If convicted, Khan faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison on count one, and a maximum sentence of 20 years on each of counts two and three. The statutory minimum and maximum sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.

Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative efforts of the DEA’s Special Operations Division’s Bilateral Investigations Unit, New York Field Division Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Strike Force, Financial Investigations Unit, and DEA Dallas Field Division; the DEA Dubai, Islamabad, Kabul, Lagos, New Delhi, and Canberra Country Offices, and the Sydney Resident Office; the United States Central Command; the Royal Canadian Mounted Police; the Government of Nigeria; and the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission. The defendant’s arrest and subsequent extradition are also the result of the close cooperative efforts of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs.

The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Terrorism and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rebekah Donaleski and Kimberly J. Ravener are in charge of the prosecution. 

The allegations contained in the complaint and the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Sons Of Convicted Drug Lord Joaquin Guzman Loera Aka “El Chapo” Charged With Drug Trafficking

The Justice Department released the below information:

An indictment against Joaquin Guzman Lopez and Ovidio Guzman Lopez, charging them with a conspiracy to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana for importation into the United States was unsealed last week. The Guzman Lopez brothers, believed to currently reside in Mexico, are the sons of Joaquin Guzman Loera, aka “El Chapo,” who was convicted by a jury in the Eastern District of New York for his role as the leader of the Sinaloa Cartel.

Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Special Agent in Charge Scott Brown of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Arizona Field Office made the announcement.

Joaquin Guzman Lopez, 34, and Ovidio Guzman Lopez, 28, are charged in a one-count indictment alleging that from in or around April 2008, through April 2018, they conspired to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana from Mexico and elsewhere for importation into the United States.  This case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras.

The case was investigated by HSI.  This case is also the result of the ongoing efforts by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), a partnership that brings together the combined expertise and unique abilities of federal, state, and local enforcement agencies.  The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, dismantle, and prosecute high-level members of drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, and money laundering organizations and enterprises.

An indictment is merely an allegation, and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Trial Attorneys Anthony Aminoff and Anthony Nardozzi of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section (NDDS) are prosecuting the case. 

Joaquin “El Chapo’ Guzman, Sinaloa Cartel Leader, Convicted Of Running A Continuing Criminal Enterprise And Other Drug Related Charges

The DEA released the below information: WASHINGTON – Joaquin Archivaldo Guzman Loera, known by various aliases, including “El Chapo” and “El Rapido,” was convicted today by a federal jury in Brooklyn, New York of being a principal operator of a continuing criminal enterprise – the Mexican organized crime syndicate known as the Sinaloa Cartel – a charge that includes 26 drug-related violations and one murder conspiracy.  Guzman Loera was convicted of all 10 counts of a superseding indictment, including narcotics trafficking, using a firearm in furtherance of his drug crimes and participating in a money laundering conspiracy.  The verdict followed a 12-week trial before U.S. District Judge Brian M. Cogan.  Guzman Loera faces a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment. Acting Attorney General Matthew G. Whitaker, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Richard P. Donoghue for the Eastern District of New York, U.S. Attorney Ariana Fajardo Orshan for the Southern District of Florida, Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), FBI Director Christopher Wray, Executive Associate Director Derek Benner of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Acting U.S. Marshal Bryan T. Mullee of the Eastern District of New York, announced the verdict. The Evidence at Trial:  As proven at trial, Guzman Loera was a principal leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, a Mexico-based international drug trafficking organization responsible for importing and distributing vast quantities of cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamine and heroin into the United States.  The evidence at trial, including testimony from 14 cooperating witnesses; narcotics seizures totaling over 130,000 kilograms of cocaine and heroin; weapons, including AK-47s and a rocket-propelled grenade launcher; ledgers; text messages; videos; photographs and intercepted recordings, detailed the drug trafficking activity of Guzman Loera and his co-conspirators over a 25-year period from January 1989 until December 2014.  Guzman Loera was repeatedly referred to by witnesses as one of the leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel.  Guzman Loera oversaw the smuggling of narcotics to wholesale distributors in Arizona, Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, and elsewhere.  The billions of illicit dollars generated from drug sales in the United States were then clandestinely transported back to Mexico.  Guzman Loera also used “sicarios,” or hit men, who carried out hundreds of acts of violence in Mexico to enforce Sinaloa’s control of territories and to eliminate those who posed a threat to the Sinaloa Cartel.  Drug Trafficking                        In the course of the decades-long drug trafficking conspiracy, the Sinaloa Cartel transported tens of thousands of kilograms of narcotics from Central and South America for distribution in the United States. Guzman Loera used various methods to transport the cartel’s narcotics into the United States, includingsubmarines, carbon fiber airplanes, trains with secret compartments and transnational underground tunnels. Multiple witnesses testified about seizures by law enforcement officers of massive amounts of cocaine, heroin and marijuana linked to the Sinaloa Cartel.  One of the largest seizures of drugs bound for the United States involved over seven tons of cocaine concealed in jalapeño cans.   The jury also heard recordings of Guzman Loera’s own damning words discussing his drug trafficking, corruption and violence.  The calls included Guzman Loera discussing sending “ice,” meaning methamphetamine, to Los Angeles, California; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Ohio and Tucson, Arizona.   Communications Network  Guzman Loera also utilized a sophisticated encrypted communications network to operate the global narcotics trafficking operation.  As an information technology engineer testified at trial, Guzman Loera paid him one million dollars to purchase and set up a network to enable the defendant to communicate via the internet with his drug trafficking associates in Colombia, Ecuador, Canada and the United States without fear of being intercepted by law enforcement or his rivals.  The witness devised a secret and secure system, consisting of encrypted cell phones and encrypted apps.  Cartel Violence  The success of the Sinaloa Cartel relied upon the use of violence to maintain their power throughout the region and beyond.  Numerous co-conspirators testified that Guzman Loera directed his hitmen to kidnap, interrogate, torture and shoot members of rival drug organizations, at times carrying out acts of violence himself.  A former hitman testified that Guzman Loera beat two men with a tree branch until their bodies “were completely like rag dolls,” before shooting the men and ordering their bodies be tossed into a bonfire.  The former hitman also testified that Guzman Loera interrogated a rival drug cartel member, shot him and ordered that he be buried alive.  In an intercepted call, the jury heard Guzman Loera order one of his sicariosto kidnap rival cartel members, but not to kill them without first checking with him.  Weapons  The Sinaloa Cartel had unfettered access to weapons.  A law enforcement witness showed the jury over 40 AK-47s that were seized in El Paso, Texas before they could be delivered to Guzman Loera in Mexico.  Additionally, witnesses identifed photographs of various weapons, including grenades and a rocket-propelled grenade launcher utilized by the Sinaloa Cartel.  Guzman Loera’s personal arsenal included a gold plated AK-47 and three diamond-encrusted .38 caliber handguns, one emblazoned with his initials, “JGL.”   Corruption  The evidence presented at trial demonstrated that to further the interests of the Sinaloa Cartel, Guzman Loera and his organization took advantage of a vast network of corrupt government officials.  These officials ranged from local law enforcement officers, prison guards, state officials, high ranking members of the armed forces, as well as politicians.  These corrupt officials assisted Guzman Loera and his organization in exchange for millions of dollars’ worth of bribery payments.  For example, according to the testimony of several witnesses, in many instances, Guzman Loera and his workers were warned of pending law enforcement operations which allowed Guzman Loera to avoid capture on multiple occasions.  In other instances, Guzman Loera, through his employees, paid officials to turn a blind eye to trafficking activities in an effort to facilitate the shipment of drugs, weapons, and bulk cash.   Money Laundering  Guzman Loera’s lucrative drug trafficking business generated billions of dollars in illicit proceeds.  Guzman Loera used various methods to launder money including bulk cash smuggling from the United States to Mexico.  One of the largest seizures was of $1.26 million seized from hidden compartments in a truck driven by Guzman Loera’s brother in Douglas, Arizona in 1989.  In addition to the bulk cash smuggling, Guzman Loera oversaw numerous shell companies, including a juice company and a fish flour company to launder the cartel’s narcotics trafficking proceeds.  “I am pleased that the Department has brought Joaquin Guzman Loera (El Chapo) to justice by securing a conviction against this drug kingpin, who was a principal leader of the Sinaloa Cartel,” said Acting Attorney General Whitaker.  “As was clear to the jury, Guzman Loera’s massive, multi-billion dollar criminal enterprise was responsible for flooding the streets of the United States with hundreds of tons of cocaine, as well as enormous quantities of other dangerous drugs such as heroin and methamphetamine.  The trial evidence also overwhelmingly showed that Guzman’s unceasing efforts to expand his cartel’s control and consolidate its power left a wake of corruption and violence in communities in both Mexico and the United States.  This case demonstrated the extraordinary reach of the U.S. government, our tenacity and commitment to pursuing kingpins like Guzman whom — if their power is unchecked — will, like Guzman, develop what for 25 years was an almost unstoppable capacity to move massive quantities of drugs into our country.  Guzman had the capital to absorb huge losses and run his enterprise with impunity; the enormous power to corrupt; and the capability to employ violence on a massive scale.  This case, and more importantly, this conviction serves as an irrefutable message to the kingpins that remain in Mexico, and those that aspire to be the next Chapo Guzman, that eventually you will be apprehended and prosecuted.  Finally, this verdict demonstrates that the United States, working in close partnership with the Mexican government, will continue to bring all possible resources to bear in its fight against international drug traffickers and their violent organizations.”  “Today’s conviction of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman demonstrates the dedication and determination of the men and women of DEA to bring the world’s most dangerous and prolific drug trafficker to justice,” said DEA Acting Administrator Dhillon.  “Those who bring drugs and violence into the United States that destroy lives and communities will not be tolerated, nor evade our reach. The success of this case is a testament to the strength of our relationship with our Mexican counterparts. DEA will continue to pursue justice worldwide and protect Americans.”  “The guilty verdict against Joaquin Guzman Loera, one of the most violent and feared drug kingpins of our time, is a testament to the hard work and courage of America’s frontline law enforcement personnel, including ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations,” said DHS Secretary Nielsen.  “They gathered substantial evidence over multiple investigations, which made his extradition to the United States and a successful prosecution possible.  Today’s verdict sends an unmistakable message to transnational criminals: you cannot hide, you are not beyond our reach, and we will find you and bring you to face justice.  Like Guzman, you will suffer the consequences of your criminal behavior.  I applaud the brave men and women at DHS who helped make this conviction possible and thank our interagency and international partners for their exceptional work.”  “Guzman Loera’s bloody reign atop the Sinaloa Cartel has come to an end, and the myth that he could not be brought to justice has been laid to rest,” said U.S. Attorney Donoghue.  “Today, Guzman Loera has been held accountable for the tons of illegal narcotics he trafficked for more than two decades, the murders he ordered and committed, and the billions of dollars he reaped while causing incalculable pain and suffering to those devastated by his drugs.  Today’s verdict is the culmination of the tireless work of countless brave members of law enforcement, here and abroad, and we congratulate them.  The Department of Justice is committed to eradicating criminal organizations that fuel America’s drug epidemic, and our mission will continue until it is completed.”  “The conviction of former Sinaloa Cartel leader Joaquin Guzman Loera strips the power from a man who employed horrific acts of violence to infect communities, throughout the United States and abroad, with the venom of illicit drugs,” said U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan.  “Today’s verdict is a reminder to all, that our international borders do not protect narco-traffickers and the cartels’ criminal enterprises from federal prosecution.  U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the nation stand united with our domestic and foreign law enforcement partners, as we continue our fight against transnational criminal organizations.”  “The reign of Joaquin Guzman Loera’s crime and violence has come to an end,” said FBI Director Wray.  “As leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, Guzman Loera carried out and directed acts of brazen violence as he oversaw the import and distribution of vast amounts of illegal drugs throughout the United States.  But today, through the steadfast determination and collective efforts of the FBI and our law enforcement partners both domestic and abroad, and due to our continuing partnership with the Government of Mexico, justice has been served.”  “HSI is committed to using our unique border authority to target and dismantle transnational criminal organizations responsible for trafficking narcotics and bringing violence into the United States,” said HSI Executive Associate Director Benner.  “Through collaboration with local, federal and international law enforcement partners, HSI special agents were able to bring an end to Joaquin Guzman Loera’s criminal activities, and help ensure he was brought to justice.”  “The conviction of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman demonstrates what is possible when law enforcement works collectively and coordinates their efforts,” said Acting U.S. Marshal Mullee.  “The U.S. Marshals Service ensured the integrity of the judicial process in this case.  From providing safe and secure detention and transportation of the world’s most notorious drug kingpin to ensuring the anonymity of the jury, protecting the judge, attorneys, witnesses and the public, the Marshals Service proudly played its important role in the process.  I would like to express my gratitude to all of our law enforcement partners who worked tirelessly in support of our mission.  They are the talented men and women of the New York City Police Department, Federal Protective Service, 24th Civil Support Team of the New York National Guard, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons.  The U.S. Marshals take our responsibility of protecting the federal judicial process very seriously.  We must anticipate and deter threats, while continuously developing and employing innovative protective tactics.  We carry out these responsibilities with precision every day across the country.  The successful prosecution of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman stands as a shining example of our mission.”  When sentenced by Judge Cogan, Guzman Loera faces a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole for leading a continuing criminal enterprise, and a sentence of up to life imprisonment on the seven remaining drug counts.  After the verdict, the government will seek a forfeiture money judgment for billions of dollars constituting the cartel’s illegal drug-trafficking proceeds.  The government’s case is being prosecuted by U.S. Department of Justice Trial Attorneys Amanda Liskamm, Anthony Nardozzi, Michael Lang and Brett Reynolds of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gina Parlovecchio, Andrea Goldbarg, Michael Robotti, Patricia Notopoulos and Hiral Mehta of the Eastern District of New York and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam Fels and Lynn Kirkpatrick of the Southern District of Florida.  The case was investigated by the DEA, HSI and the FBI, in cooperation with Mexican, Ecuadorian, Netherlands, Dominican, and Colombian law enforcement authorities. Substantial assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in the Northern District of Illinois, the Western District of Texas, the Southern District of New York, the Southern District of California and the District of New Hampshire.  The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs also played an integral role in securing the extradition of Guzman Loera to the United States, in cooperation with authorities of the Mexican government, without which his extradition and prosecution would not have been possible.  The investigative efforts in this case were coordinated with the Department of Justice’s Special Operations Division, comprising of agents, analysts and attorneys from the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section; DEA New York, DEA Miami, FBI Washington Field Office, FBI New York Field Office, FBI Miami Field Office; HSI New York, HSI Nogales; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Marshals Service; IRS Criminal Investigation; U.S. Bureau of Prisons, NYPD and New York State Police.  This case is the result of the ongoing efforts by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a partnership that brings together the combined expertise and unique abilities of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, dismantle and prosecute high level members of drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations and enterprises.  You can also read my Washington Times review of Hunting El Chapo via the below link:  www.pauldavisoncrime.com/2018/06/my-washington-times-review-of-hunting.html