NEWS SUMMARY – Might 30, 2024
SAN DIEGO – A federal grand jury has indicted 14 individuals for taking part in a multimillion-dollar worldwide cocaine-trafficking and money-laundering scheme.
In keeping with an indictment unsealed at the moment, plus extra data in a associated search warrant, the alleged head of the trafficking group, Jesus Ruiz-Sandoval, managed the smuggling and distribution of enormous quantities of cocaine from Tijuana into the States United, and the motion of cash again to Mexico. Ruiz is a United States citizen who fled the US for Mexico a number of years in the past, in violation of his phrases of supervised launch for a previous federal drug trafficking crime (Case Quantity 08-cr-00713-DSF within the Central District of California).
The search warrant mentioned Ruiz labored carefully with different co-conspirators, together with John Joe Soto and Esteban Sinhue Mercado, who’re additionally U.S. residents presently residing in Mexico. The alleged conspiracy concerned smuggling giant portions of kilos of cocaine from Tijuana to San Diego to Los Angeles. From there, industrial vehicles transported the cocaine from Los Angeles to the Mid-Atlantic for distribution within the japanese United States. Industrial vehicles additionally transported money proceeds from cocaine gross sales throughout the US to Los Angeles, the place it was packaged and loaded into automobiles that couriers drove via San Diego and into Tijuana, delivering the proceeds to Ruiz. Up to now, investigators have seized greater than $5 million in money and greater than 130 kilos of cocaine.
“This workplace targets subtle worldwide trafficking cells by hitting them the place it hurts – their wallets,” mentioned US Lawyer Tara Ok. McGrath. “Following the cash takes you to the center of a visitors group and this pursuit goals to drive participation via it.” United States Lawyer McGrath expressed his gratitude to the Los Angeles Police Division and the Hawthorne Police Division, which offered a useful partnership on this investigation.
“One of many pillars of Homeland Safety Investigations (HSI) is to determine and dismantle worldwide drug trafficking organizations that poison our communities,” mentioned Christopher Davis, Particular Agent in Cost of HSI San Diego. “Throughout this investigation and with the unwavering help of our legislation enforcement companions, we additionally found his involvement in a cash laundering scheme. This indictment serves as a warning to those that consider they could be not detected by HSI – our message is evident. You can be discovered and you’ll be dropped at justice.”
“This indictment marks a big milestone in our ongoing pursuit of justice towards transnational felony organizations. By leveraging collaborative efforts, CBP together with our accomplice companies are capable of goal the foundation causes of crime and dismantle it organized felony enterprises,” mentioned Sidney Ok. Aki, Director of Subject Operations for the San Diego Subject Workplace. “In the end, this unified strategy promotes public security, reduces the movement of unlawful medication and laundered funds, and strengthens communities' resilience towards these threats.”
This investigation is certainly one of two in Ruiz. A number of months after a grand jury in San Diego first indicted Ruiz, a separate grand jury within the Central District of California indicted him and others in a separate however comparable worldwide trafficking scheme. See United States v. Sandoval et al., 24-CR-008 AB (CD Cal.). The prosecutions of Ruiz and different defendants within the two instances will proceed in a coordinated method.
One other defendant, Ricardo Miranda-Beltran (aka Ricardo Miranda-Benitez), appeared on Tuesday for his preliminary look on the cost. Miranda was arrested within the Jap District of California and ordered to be arrested, after which ordered to look in San Diego on these fees.
THE DEFUSED Case Quantity 23cr1574 AJB
*Jose Ruiz-Sandoval Age: 45 Mexico
* John Joe Soto Age: 43 Mexico
* Esteban Sinhue Mercado Age: 24 Mexico
Brittany Mangrum Age: 36 Van Nuys, CA
Liliana Ruvalcaba-Gonzalez Age: 25 Anaheim, CA
Yessenia Lazo Age: 23 Los Angeles, CA
Ricardo Miranda-Beltran Age: 57 Bakersfield, CA
Edwin Rafael Hernandez Age: 32 Pasadena, CA
* Denotes fugitives not in custody
**Names of extra defendants are redacted and never listed right here
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Conspiracy to Distribute Managed Substances – Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a) & 846
Most Penalty: Life in custody, $10 million positive, and a lifetime time period of supervised launch
Conspiracy to Import Managed Substance – Title 21, United States Code, Sections 952, 960 and 963
Most Penalty: Life in custody, $10 million positive, and a lifetime time period of supervised launch
Cons. to Launder Financial Devices – Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1956(a)(2)(B)(i) & (h)
Most Penalty: – Twenty years in custody, $500,000 positive or twice the quantity laundered, and a time period of three years of supervised launch
Bulk Money Smuggling – Title 31, United States Code, Part 5332
Most penalty: 5 years in custody, $250,000 positive, and a time period of three years of supervised launch
AGENCIES
Homeland Safety Investigations
Customs and Border Safety
Los Angeles Police Division, Transnational Organized Crime Part
Hawthorne Police Division
* The costs and allegations contained in an indictment or grievance are allegations solely, and the accused are presumed harmless except and till confirmed responsible.
This prosecution is a part of an OCDETF (Process Forces Organized Crime Drug Enforcement) investigation. The OECDTF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, cash launderers, gangs and transnational felony organizations that threaten the US utilizing a prosecutor-led, multi-agency strategy intelligence, which leverages the strengths of the federal authorities, state and native legislation enforcement companies towards felony networks
