A large multi-state operation has dismantled a sophisticated global drug trafficking enterprise linked to the infamous Sinaloa-based Beltran Leyva Cartel, leading to the prosecution of 22 people.
Federal investigators claimed today that the organization was responsible for importing and distributing more than a ton of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine into the United States, laundering illicit money, and attempting to transfer firearms to Mexico.
Over 150 law enforcement officers detained ten suspects and executed six search warrants in Imperial County as part of a coordinated operation that included California, Arizona, Iowa, and Colorado. Twelve of the suspects are still at large.
The operation, which comprised seizures today and over the course of a long-term investigation, yielded over 1,000 kilograms (ca. 2,205 lb pounds) of drugs, including more than 750 kilograms (ca. 1,653 lb pounds) of fentanyl, ten weapons, and more than $250,000 in cash.
“We have literally seized a ton of drugs that were destined to hit our streets and harm our community,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Andrew Haden. “By disrupting this prolific, cartel-linked trafficking network, we are preventing the devastation and violence it brings.”
The defendants, who operated from Mexicali, Mexico, and Imperial County, California, served as a distribution cell for the Beltrán Leyva Cartel, which was especially linked to Fausto Isidro Meza Flores, also known as El Chapo Isidro.
The investigation, which included undercover operations and wiretaps, revealed multiple controlled drug purchases, vehicle stops, and searches of stash houses, resulting in significant narcotics recoveries. Key seizures include:
- January 23, 2023: 1.4 million fentanyl pills (148.53 kilograms) seized from a semi-truck.
- May 9, 2023: 483,000 fentanyl pills (48.30 kilograms) seized from a semi-truck.
- May 25, 2023: 480,000 fentanyl pills (48.6 kilograms), 72.29 kilograms of methamphetamine, and a loaded 9mm handgun seized from a semi-truck.
- October 9, 2023: 139,000 fentanyl pills and 36.66 kilograms of methamphetamine seized.
- March 14, 2024: 59.48 kilograms of methamphetamine seized during a traffic stop.
Authorities also recovered firearms, including gold-plated AR-15 rifles and other weapons bound for Mexico.
Five defendants are also charged with immigrant smuggling.
The defendants are charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled narcotics, money laundering conspiracy, and attempted transfer of a handgun for use in a drug trafficking felony.
The investigation was a joint effort of federal, state, and local law enforcement organizations, including Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the FBI.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a statewide campaign aimed against cartels and transnational criminal organizations.
