Fourteen arrested, charged in meth trafficking case
NORTH TEXAS (CBSDFW.COM) - Fourteen alleged methamphetamine traffickers were arrested yesterday, according to U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham. Five defendants still remain at large.
The operation, dubbed Operation Kullvid-20, has netted a total of 40 federal defendants plus 2,708 kilograms of methamphetamine, 29 guns, and $742,000 cash to date, including 17 kilograms of methamphetamine, six guns, and $12,000 cash seized yesterday. Over the course of the investigation, agents have also seized six vehicles, 30 kilograms of heroin, and 719 grams, or roughly 539,500 lethal doses of fentanyl.
The defendants conspired to smuggle powdered methamphetamine from Mexico to the United States, court documents say.
To avoid being detected by law enforcement, defendants allegedly spoke in code. They would use the Spanish word "diente," or "tooth" to refer to 10 packages of meth and the word "ventilador," or "fan," to refer to 20 packages.
According to a release from Meacham, an unidentified coconspirator even warned a top distributor to abandon his residence because he believed that law enforcement was watching his home.
Those charged in a 22-count superseding indictment filed in May and unsealed this week include:
- George Anthony Cervantes: conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime
- Fernando Mancha, Jr.: conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime
- Cynthia Sanchez: conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance
- Myda Marivel Garcia: conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime
- Luis Enrique Esquivel-Madrigal: conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, two counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime
- Bruno Rafael Hernandez-Rios: conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime
- Fnu Lun, aka "Paniquedo:" conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance
- Eric Perez: conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance
- Enrique Cabrera Gomez: conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance
- Porfirio Pineda: conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance
- Jose Eulalio Perez: conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance
- Charles McEntye Zoffuto: conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime
- Raquel Desara Martinez: conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime
"The North Texas Strike Force's goal is simple: dismantle the most dangerous and violent criminal drug networks in North Texas that are responsible for poisoning our neighborhoods with methamphetamine and other illicit drugs," said Special Agent in charge of the DEA Dallas Field Division, Eduardo A. Chávez.
"Through the combined efforts of our federal, state, and local partner agencies, we will not stop until individuals such as those arrested yesterday are held accountable to justice and to the victims and families of so many that have been destroyed because of their greed."
