The indictment charges 17 foreign nationals with distributing thousands of encrypted communication devices to criminal syndicates, advertising the devices as "designed by criminals for criminals." 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. Slaphouses are named for the button-bashing sound made by patrons playing on illegal machines. The Task Force is a joint federal and state gang task force that includes the FBI; the Drug Enforcement Administration; IRS Criminal Investigation; the Riverside County Sheriffs Department; and the Riverside Police Department. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. These establishments are equipped with electronic gambling machines which are programmed with several games of chance such as poker, blackjack, keno, jacks or better, and slot games. Learn more about how we use cookies in our cookie policy. In total, law enforcement seized more than 150 pounds (68 kilograms) of methamphetamine and $31,035 in cash during this investigation. Please reload the page and try again. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Maximum Penalties: For Illegal Gambling Business Charge: Five years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. Here's How to Check Your Bill, Rainstorms Are Boosting San Diego's Water Supplies But It's Not Enough, Beaches Up and Down San Diego County Closed After Sewage Spills, Watch Live: Maya Millete Case Updates During Larry Millete's Hearing on Murder Charge, SUV Appears Split in Half After Oceanside Crash That Killed Mom, 6-Year-Old, Injured 4 Others, That's Where She Told Me That She Needs a Place to Live,' Maya Millete's Sister-in-Law Testifies. Federal Office Building ) A San Diego man who killed his boyfriend by stabbing him 93 times was sentenced today to life in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton. Los Cabos also frequently targeted law enforcement in Tijuana and are accused of killing at least three police officers, according to prosecutors. The defendants arrested today are expected to make their initial appearances this afternoon in the United States District Court in Riverside and downtown Los Angeles. RIVERSIDE, CA Law enforcement authorities today arrested 12 defendants charged in a federal grand jury indictment alleging they conspired to traffic large quantities of methamphetamine from their suppliers in Mexico into and throughout the Inland Empire. The CJNGs rapid expansion of its drug trafficking activities is characterized by the groups willingness to engage in violent confrontations with Mexican government security forces and rival cartels, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administrations most recent National Drug Threat Assessment report. Our DA team worked tirelessly with the Violent Crimes Task Force and the U.S. Attorneys Office assisting with critical search warrants during the course of this operation.. "They're also supplying a deadly stream of methamphetamine and other deadly drugs. Fax: (619) 546-0720 922(g)(1). Have a question about Government Services? Many of the venues raided Wednesday were located inside small businesses or inside houses, apartments, and outbuildings in residential neighborhoods, predominantly in City Heights in the East San Diego area. In all, 44 firearms, more than 12 pounds of methamphetamine, $263,000 in cash, and 640 gambling machines were seized during the culmination of a two-year investigation. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. The investigation leading to these federal charges focused on the criminal activities of the Riverside-based Casa Blanca Rifa criminal street gang to combat drug trafficking and associated violence in Riverside and the surrounding community. San Diego County residents face federal charges in . Felon in Possession of a Firearm, in violation of Title 18, U.S.C., Secs. The defendants are charged with conspiracy, operating illegal gambling businesses, maintaining drug involved premises, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, distribution of methamphetamine, importation of methamphetamine, felon in possession of firearm and felon in possession of ammunition. Learn more about how we use cookies in our cookie policy. The indictment details the conspirators efforts in April 2020 to smuggle 46.6 pounds (21.2 kilograms) of methamphetamine from Mexico across the U.S port of entry at Calexico and into Riverside County. 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. Most locations of these establishments are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. 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. 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. 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. SAN DIEGO, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) - A man from San Diego was indicted in a federal court after a search of his residence revealed his connection to illegal sales of firearms and possessing. According to court records, it is common for employees to hand out small amounts of methamphetamine and comp customers to keep them playing and coming back for more. The indictments allege that many of these gambling locations were taking in thousands of dollars a day. There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. Of the 35 people arrested, 15 are part of the indicted group, and the others were arrests for state offenses. Attorneys Matthew J. Sutton and Adam Gordon for their excellent work on this case. Dont buy a teeth whitening gel before reading these reviews. The members of law enforcement at the news conference were flanked by two tables bristling with firearms of all types, as well as boxes at their feet bearing more weapons. Our free newsletter is delivered at 8 a.m. daily. The drug-trafficking organization, known by its Spanish initials CJNG, has risen in influence in recent years and has been battling the more entrenched Sinaloa Cartel for control of the lucrative Tijuana-San Diego smuggling route. U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of California, Forty-Seven Defendants Charged in Illegal Gambling and Drug Indictments, San Diego Resident Sentenced to 15 Years for His Role in Fatal Fentanyl Overdose, Defendant Sentenced to 10 Years in Case Featured on HBO Documentary The Crime of the Century, Mexican National Sentenced to 108 Months Following Record-Breaking Seizure of Fentanyl and Meth, Forty Seven Defendants Charged In Illegal Gambling and Drug Indictments. Maximum Penalties: For Possession with Intent to Distribute and Distribution of Methamphetamine Charges: Life in prison with a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a $10 million fine. The cartel was an early adopter of trafficking fentanyl into the U.S. as a cheaper, more reliable alternative to heroin and, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office, is also a prolific methamphetamine producer and chemical importer, using precursors procured from China and India.. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. So far, 44 of the 60 defendants are already in state or federal custody, the prosecutor said. They often spring up behind seemingly vacant storefronts in areas where retail has taken a downturn. 12.23.2022. 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. Maximum Penalties: For Distribution of Methamphetamine Charge: life in prison with a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a $10 million fine. An official website of the United States government. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. With the generous support of readers like you, Times of San Diego publishes timely and accurate news coverage for a better-informed community. 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. The FBI disrupted two dozen illegal gambling dens in San Diego Wednesday morning in sweeping raids across the city. 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The culmination of a year-long investigation has netted the arrests of 47 people who are charged for allegedly distributing methamphetamine, heroin and fentanyl throughout Southern California and laundering tens of thousands of dollars in narcotics proceeds back to Sinaloa-Cartel associated drug traffickers in Mexico.. A grand jury indictment was unsealed Tuesday charging 60 alleged members of a San Diego-based methamphetamine distribution network with ties to the Sinaloa cartel with federal drug. maps_and_photos_4-14-21x.pdf unsealed_sw_21mj1300.pdf In May 2020, another co-conspirator allegedly attempted to drive a load of 90.4 pounds (41 kilograms) of methamphetamine into the United States from Mexico through the San Ysidro port of entry. 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. Prosecutors say the defendants were part of a ring that smuggled thousands of pounds of meth from the cartel across the border, then distributed the drug to dozens of sub-distributors in San Diego County, across the United States and even Australia and New Zealand. Alexander Yoichi Duberek, 25, was indicted in September 2021. Mexican authorities have not released further details about the case, including why the teens might have been targeted.

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