Sutton said that the lead defendant in the case, Reyes Espinoza, was the one with the alleged ties to the Sinaloa Cartel and was the main supplier and served as a conduit, the main source of supply for the meth ring, responsible for importing hundreds of pounds of methamphetamine into San Diego every week. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS TTY: (619) 557-3450. Alexander Yoichi Duberek, 25, was indicted in September 2021. Some of that violence was aimed at three teenagers on Nov. 24, 2018. Harvey, 54, of Riverside, purchased methamphetamine from their suppliers in Mexico as well as Los Angeles and Riverside counties. 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. An official website of the United States government. April 14, 2021 - 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. The 19-count indictment charges a total of 19 defendants with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum 10-year prison sentence and a statutory maximum penalty of life imprisonment. 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. Official websites use .gov Three men identified by authorities by first name only were arrested in Mexico in connection with the slayings about six weeks later. The Grand Jury investigates the operations of governmental programs of the County, cities and special districts. 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. 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. SAN DIEGO Eleven federal indictments unsealed in San Diego today charge twenty-three documented gang members and associates with heroin, methamphetamine and firearms trafficking. 841(a)(1) and 846; Conspiracy to Import Heroin, in violation of Title 21, U.S.C., Secs. 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. The operation resulted in 35 arrests and charges against 47 people, according. Grossman praised federal prosecutors Dale Blankenship and Matthew Brehm as well as the Deputy District Attorneys, FBI Special Agents, San Diego Police Department detectives and officers and other state, federal and local law enforcement agencies who worked so hard on this investigation. 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. Todays enforcement action is another example of why the Task Force was established to be a force multiplier and combine short term, street level enforcement activity with long term, sophisticated techniques to root out and prosecute the entire criminal enterprise., I would like to recognize the cooperation between all agencies who took part in this operation, said San Diego Police Chief David Nisleit. The indictment also charges some of the defendants with conspiracy to import methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, being a felon in possession of ammunition, and attempted international money laundering. The CJNG is considered the most dangerous, well-armed and fastest-growing cartel in Mexico. 922(g)(1). Dont buy a teeth whitening gel before reading these reviews. All rights reserved, $51.3M Erased From Overdue SDG&E Bills. Four defendants are fugitives. *KAREN RENE ANN PRANGSAMPHAN- PORTER (10), Conspiracy (Title 18, U.S.C., Sec. Assistant U. S. Attorneys Matthew J. Sutton (619) 546-8941 and Adam Gordon (619) 546-6720 NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY - May 27, 2021 SAN DIEGO - Eleven federal indictments unsealed in San Diego today charge twenty-three documented gang members and associates with heroin, methamphetamine and firearms trafficking. To protect their illegal operations, the defendants used encrypted communications services to communicate with each other. The group is accused of dispatching large groups of armed killers to take over the region, including planning more than 150 murders in a roughly six-month period, most of them in Tijuana, according to a court-authorized interception of a group chat described in a recent court filing. 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. There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. In total, law enforcement seized more than 150 pounds (68 kilograms) of methamphetamine and $31,035 in cash during this investigation. The FBI said that those arrested Wednesday ranged from owners of the businesses to those who acted as security doormen and bankers, as well as the drug dealers who operated within the dens. 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. The FBI disrupted two dozen illegal gambling dens in San Diego Wednesday morning in sweeping raids across the city. Help us grow with a monthly contribution. Alexander Michael Randise, 29, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court last year to a fentanyl distribution charge, stemming from the December 2021 death of Tyber Joseph Lustig, U.S. District Court Judge Larry Burns ruled the 2021 law did not violate gun owners rights under the Second Amendment, Preliminary hearing of Larry Millete, who has pleaded not guilty to murdering his missing wife Maya Millete, could run two weeks or longer. 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. 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. The trio was tortured for about two hours before being killed, according to the Baja California Attorney Generals Office. "The defendants in this case used cars and motorcycles with hidden compartments, they used trains, commercial airlines, the U.S. mail and commercial delivery services like FedEx and UPS to deliver their deadly methamphetamine. Four men alleged to be leaders in a Mexican cartel enforcement cell have been indicted in San Diego on drug-trafficking charges and are accused of orchestrating a wave of violence in Tijuana, including the murders of two San Diego teenagers in 2018, according to federal prosecutors. Distribution of Methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, U.S.C., Sec. DEFENDANTS Case Number: 21CR1405-DMS. Maximum Penalties: For Distribution of Methamphetamine Charge: Forty years imprisonment with a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a $5 million fine. The governments case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. maps_and_photos_4-14-21x.pdf unsealed_sw_21mj1300.pdf 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. 12.06. . Importation of Methamphetamine (Title 21, U.S.C., Secs. A locked padlock Many of the defendants are documented members or associates of violent South Bay street gangs operating out of National City, San Ysidro, and elsewhere. Most locations of these establishments are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. According to the indictment returned on May 5 and unsealed today, from April to August 2020, lead defendants Timoteo Gomez, 48, of Riverside, and Javier Rodriguez, a.k.a. Prosecutors said many of the defendants are either members or associates of gangs, some of which have longstanding ties to the Mexican Mafia. They operated out of South Bay communities including National City and San Ysidro. 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Vasquez is accused of coordinating the killings, according to a U.S. Attorneys Office motion to unseal the charges. 952, 960 and 963; Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin, in violation of Title 21, U.S.C., Sec. Matthew Brehm (619) 546-8983. Possession with Intent to Distribute/Distribution of Methamphetamine (Title 21, U.S.C., Sec. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF. Enter address: This website, like most media sites, uses small files called cookies to anonymously customize the advertising that you see. 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. Secure .gov websites use HTTPSA lock ( Our team of experts has selected the best teeth whitening gel out of hundreds of options. Federal Office Building The defendants are charged in two separate indictments with submitting fraudulent claims to California's Employment Development Department. Maximum Penalties: Importation of Methamphetamine Charges: Forty years imprisonment with a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a $5 million fine. They often spring up behind seemingly vacant storefronts in areas where retail has taken a downturn. Typically, they operate 24/7 and have remained open throughout the pandemic. That is, until today.". Anti-aging serums in particular offer many benefits to aging and mature skin. Name, email and comment will be stored in our database. As a result of the collaboration of federal, state and local law enforcement officials, law-abiding citizens who live in these neighborhoods will be safer without these magnets for crime in their midst. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. No Thanks San Diego County residents face federal charges in . Your email address will not be published. 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 indictments allege that illegal gambling dens were often located inside small businesses or inside houses, apartments, and outbuildings in residential neighborhoods predominantly in City Heights, in the East San Diego area. Many of these gang have long-standing ties to the Mexican Mafia. for adult inmates in San Diego, California in San diego that opened in 1974. 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? Los Cabos also frequently targeted law enforcement in Tijuana and are accused of killing at least three police officers, according to prosecutors. The defendants largely hail from gangs operating in the South Bay. The fourth alleged leader, Israel Alejandro Vazquez-Vazquez, is charged separately in a March 2021 indictment. Many of the defendants are scheduled to be arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael Berg at 2 p.m. today and tomorrow. news, guides, reviews and information since 1995. 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. 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. For firearms charges: Ten years in prison, and a $250,000 fine. 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. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. 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. The drug dealers moved the narcotics around the country utilizing various means, including FedEx and UPS, according to investigators. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Maximum Penalties: For the drug charges: Life in prison with a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a $10 million fine. Toll Free (800) 544-1106 "Distribution networks like this one are the arms of violent cartels, reaching out into our communities," Grossman said. 841(a)(1)). The indictments allege that many of these gambling locations were taking in thousands of dollars a day. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. ", "San Diego is one of nine major transportation-hub cities identified under DEA's Operation Crystal Shield," said John Callery, Special Agent in Charge of DEAs San Diego Field Division. Maximum Penalties: For Maintaining Drug Involved Premises Charges: Five years imprisonment and a $500,000 fine. Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine (Title 21, U.S.C., Sec. 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