Eduardo, known as "Pollo" or "Chicken," began running errands, or drug runs, for his uncle when he was 20 or 21 and claims he had no understanding of the scope of the drug ring or the risks he was taking. He previously was convicted on federal drug charges in the U.S. and was deported at least twice. CJNG is "among us. Brenda and Karl Cooley of Louisville certainly didnt know his name when their son Adam overdosed on fentanyl in March 2017. 1 drug killing Americans. Armas and his wife, known as "Coco," used a handful of drug associates to store and repackage the drugs and drive them to Seaside and surrounding areas. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel). More:Will El Chapo son's arrest slow export of drugs to US? He received credit for time in jail awaiting trial and has since been released and deported. Prosecutors successfully pushed for 15 years in their sentencing memo, pointing to Farfan's "unwillingness to stop drug trafficking and his unwillingness to remain outside of the United States." If you have drugs in your community, and I don't think there is any community that can say they don't have any, it is coming from the drug cartels. Cartel members issued a stark warning in Mexico that reverberated through the drug network in Oregon. He shares intel with the DEA,but not his own people. "He was terrified to talk about this," his attorney told The Courier Journal. %privacy_policy%. On April 13, 2017, federal agents arrested Maciason his way to Calumet Farm. on January 26, 2022. "If you provide information to the Mexican government, its probably the last thing you would say.". "The violence in Mexico and elsewhere is something that doesn't stop at the border. "That puts a target on my back," he told his attorney. Ciro Macias Martinez led a double life, working as a horse groomer by day and overseeing the flow of $30 million worth of drugs into Kentuckyby night before being imprisoned in 2018 for meth trafficking and money laundering, federal records show. Theyre also working to train Mexican police to improve the country's solve rate for kidnappings and murders, which is less than 5%. American authorities are still seeking his extradition to the U.S. to face drug charges. Mexican cartel murders bride at altar during her own wedding, kidnaps groom, Canada's defence minister pledges 200 armoured personnel carriers for Ukraine during . Signed Elite Group.". At night,from 2015 through April2017, Maciasdirected the flow of $30 millionworth ofheroin, cocaine, ecstasy, crystal meth and fentanylfromMexico to Kentucky's two largest cities:Lexington and Louisville. A young woman en route to selling street food was also fatally struck by a stray bullet through a car window. Pullup the seat. But soon, he was asked to deliver drugs. They are surrounded by 13 masked men, apparently Los Zetas hitmen, who point their rifles at them. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! It also identified at least two dozen "cells," which the DEA defines as places where cartel members set up shop to do business and live in the communities. Theyve got their money," Williams said. And though few Americans know his name, authorities promise they soon will. 13 Mexican police officers were killed in an ambush, sold heroin to two undercover police officers, fired Russian-made rocket-propelled grenade launchers, Investigators uncovered a hidden hub of stash houses, state trooper working with a DEA task force nearly brought down El Mencho, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Unlike his reclusive father, the 25-year-old lived in a luxury high-rise apartment in downtown Guadalajara and often stepped out in designer clothes to eat in fancy restaurants. He got his first glimpse of CJNGs success when he was overseeing drug cases in Los Angeles, a key cartel hub. Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting. Last year, a judge sentenced Eduardo to 30 months behind bars, followed by five years supervised release. The Jalisco Cartel New Generation (Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generacin - CJNG) is a criminal group that has evolved as a result of killings, captures and rifts in older cartels. or redistributed. . Prosecutors say Parra Pedroza and Pineda Sanchezwould keepa percentage, with the rest going tocartel members in Mexico. Who is El Mencho, the most powerful drug kingpin in the world? A larger probe was underway by Washington County Sheriff's WIN Team, the Westside Interagency Narcotics task force that includes agents with the FBI, Hillsboro and Beaverton police and the Oregon National Guard County-Drug investigators. "El Mencho, a former police officer, knows that violence and fear are what keepthese cartels in power within Mexico. During his three months in jail, he got sober. Los Cabos allegedly engaged in this violence in support of CJNG, one of the most dangerous transnational criminal organizations in the world. [CDATA[ And he realized he faced a mandatory minimum of 10 years if convicted at trial and would miss watching his 6-month-old son grow up. Echeagaray pointed out that CJNG, although very violent, does not target civilians systematically. "That said, shootouts and attacks on authorities have happened in cities like Guadalajara in the middle of the day with no regard to innocent civilians' lives.". Chicago prosecutors allegein court filingsthat LuisAlderetewas ahigh-level cartel operativewhoshopped for a hitman on Facebook to take care of a gang member in Cairo, Illinois, to silence him. He had a 1999 aggravated felony drug conviction in Multnomah County and was deported in 2001. CJNG has skirted Mexican and U.S. inspections at legal border crossings by hiding drugs in semitrailers hauling tomatoes, avocados and other produce, dumping at least 5 tons of cocaine and 5 tons of meth into this country every month, according to DEA estimates. VIEWER DISCRETION IS STRONGLY ADVISED. Macias found success following the cartel's three-pronged business model: Macias recruited Brizeida Janett Sosa, the mother of his youngest child, to help organize themoney laundering scheme, court records would later show. The Portland-based drug network, which stretched into affluent area suburbs, westbound to Oregon's quaint coastal cities and north into southwestern Washington, is emblematic of a key Mexican cartel strategy to establish drug pipelines far beyond the border and into small, unsuspecting towns. So instead of blaming, we should look for solutions.. Additional Video Update: There is an additional video of a fight against state police that took place in the town of Tizapn El Alto. The CJNG has also been accused of directly extorting businesses in the capital. He remained in prison until his deportation in 2015, court records show. Many are committed by cartels. One of the working law enforcement theories suggests the gunmen were targeting a former ally attending his mothers funeral. The U.S government has crippled dozens ofbusinessesthat supported CJNGandsentElMenchosson and chief financial backer to prison, along with members of his inner circle. They seized more than $1 million in drug moneyhis couriers were hauling to Mexico. Ransom-seekers and other cartelsare responsible for many of those disappearances,with CJNG to blame for thousands,DEA agentssay. He can be contacted atbdarby@breitbart.com. Who is La Vaca? Victor Alvarez Farfan began sneaking into the U.S. and targeting the Portland area more than two decades ago when he was in his early 20s. For police, it was d vu. The investigation documented CJNG operations in at least 35 states and Puerto Rico, a sticky web that has snared struggling business owners, thousands of drug users and Mexican immigrants terrified to challenge cartel orders. Eduardo began running errands for his uncle, including delivering a bag to an El Salvador native who flew in from Maryland. In Mexico, El Mencho is a household name. To an extent, it worked, illustrating how cartels manipulate on both sides of the border through threats and violence. According to U.S. officials, the CJNG is now the primary drug trafficking outfit in 24 of Mexico's 32 states. Observers and anti-trafficking personnel who closely monitor the CJNG, which emerged around 2009 after splintering from the Sinaloa cartel, broadly conclude that much of its bloody approach can be attributed to its ruthless leader, Nemesio "El Mencho" Oseguera. Armas used the couple's home as a drug stash house, paying them with enough meth for their daily fix. Provided by McCracken County Sheriff's Department. The victim screamed in pain and begged them to kill him. CJNG also has enlisted white-collar expertise. It has an army of 5,000 members, including some former police officers. Known as CJNG, the cartel is a global powerhouse, detected on every continent except Antarctica. "If one wants to gain power, control and territory, it's a must that they conquer non-alliance cartels and gain the assistance of police and government entities to assist them in their global success.". All rights reserved. . "There would be times on surveillance where you'd see 15 to 25 people roaming the local trap house waiting for the next supply to come in, walking around or sitting in cars, just waiting," said Walker, who later left the department. All rights reserved. If someone you love dies from an overdose tonight, he may very well be to blame. I don't want to put my wife, my family in danger.'". Mexican Cartel Members Sending Message To Rivals. From the shadows, he continues to lead CJNG with ruthless authority. State and federal authorities have been unable to stop a fierce war in Michoacan between the CJNG and Carteles Unidos, an alliance of smaller regional organizations with proxy support from the Sinaloa Cartel. Many court documents in the Farfan case remain sealed, hiding secrets shared by drug ring members and associates, and some involved in the case opted not to talk because of the volatility of the Mexican suppliers. In Illinois,the cartel teamed with Vice Lordsgang members to grow a drug network that stretched from Southern California through the Midwest and into Nashville and Paducah, Kentuckyknown for its riverwalk murals and the National QuiltMuseum. But he kept getting caught. Farfan brought in at least 20 kilos of meth, half a kilo of heroin and nearly two kilos of fentanyl. Four years later, he was caught selling drugs out of a southeast Portland auto repair shop. "Theyre a business," Hammer said of cartels. As well as its feud with El Menchos CJNG, El Marros group has made threats against new Mexican President Andrs Manuel Lpez Obrador, intelligence website InSight Crime reports. He reached 'kingpin' status by selling Mexican cartel-supplied drugs. But Mexican President Andrs Manuel Lpez Obrador declined Trump's offer for U.S. troops, saying his country doesn't need help. CHINESE 'CARTELS' QUIETLY OPERATING IN MEXICO, AIDING US DRUG CRISIS. He handed the bag to Noe Antonio Machado-Medrano, then age 23. Further details Roberto Alderete revealed about CJNG remain hidden in sealed documents. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. "I had a prosecutor who was sympathetic that this guy was just a bond-hit, video-game type of kid," Schindler said. Mexican Cartel Members Behead Two Men. Investigators uncovered three main pieces of the puzzle that revealed a snapshot of how this drug ring thrived. Its extreme savagery in Mexico includes beheadings, public hangings, acid baths, even cannibalism. While the CJNG makes no effortsto hide its beef with adverse cartels and Mexican military and law enforcement, civilians are all too often caught in the cryptic crossfire. Hearing more details, the investigator, who asked not to be identified to protect his work, acknowledged to The Courier Journal: "Its a great strategy.". After his escape, the U.S. took its manhunt public. Tipped off that a police caravan was on its way to grab El Mencho, CJNGhitmen hidalong the route in April 2015 and ambushed fourpolice vehicles. El Menchos drug empire "is putting poison on the streets of the U.S.," said Chris Evans, who runs the DEAs day-to-day global operations. Sheriff's investigators say a Paducah, Kentucky, business owner who fell behind on a drug debt was warned last year by the cartel: "If we dont get our money, were gonna kill you and your family.. Agents say Macias didn'tinvolveCalumet in his drug crimes. Drug dealers may not have worried about being caught here, in Clatsop County, a 90-minute drive northwest from the bustling city of Portland. Walker realized he wasn't the only one watching this drug ring. CJNGs rapid rise heralds the latest chapter in a generations-old drug war in which Mexican cartels are battling to supply Americans insatiable demand for narcotics. Treasury Department officials stood with Sessions and announced more sanctions on businesses linked to CJNG and its affiliate, Los Cuinis. He paid couriers to return the drug profits to him. Watch a man being brutally beheaded by rival Cartel members in Mexico! She got her older sister, a struggling single mom, involved to make quick money. "Either you or your family could be killed. A pool of blood forms on the floor. "They are also very adept at using social media, such as Facebook and even Tik Tok, to show their strength and aggressiveness. For example, a Lexington waitress seekingcash to pay fordental assistant courses ended up making bank deposits that she didnt know were for CJNG, according to court transcripts. hammering his body with at least three bullets, stolen cars converted into armored vehicles to drones and high-powered machine guns. Soldiers seized a couple of modified and armored trucks at a warehouse in the municipality of Camargo during a patrol on Saturday, local media reported. Paying semitruck drivers to haul hidden caches of drugs into the U.S. and return cash to Mexico. But DEA agents across the border are sharing intelligence and working with their Mexican counterparts to devise ways to dismantle CJNG and arrest its leaders. They also contacted more than two dozen accused cartel members or CJNG associates in prison and traveled to Mexico City, Guadalajara and 15 U.S. cities to see firsthand the far-reaching repercussions of El Menchos cartel. The cartel's expansion into smaller, unexpected communities began to mushroom about five years ago as U.S. intelligence analysts tracked its movements far beyond border towns and major hubs. The group has also upped the ante for sea and air authority too fighting the likes of Sinaloa and the vestiges of Los Zetas and Los Pelones to take heed over the vital port of Chetumal and the Yucatan Peninsula, according to ananalysisby InSight Crime. The CJNG is one of the most powerful drug cartels in Mexico and has been behind some of the deadliest attacks on Mexican security forces, such as a 2015 ambush in Jalisco which left 15 officers dead. With a $10 million reward on his head, hes on the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administrations Most Wanted list. They stormed a hideout west of Guadalajara, but the cartel leader climbed into a vehicle and was rushed to safety. Rubn "Nemesio" Oseguera Cervantes is the leader of Crtel Jalisco Nueva Generacin, better known as CJNG. 1nemesis, the Sinaloa Cartel, dominates the majority supply of everything from methamphetamine and heroin to the devastating synthetic opioid fentanyl into its northern border and beyond. Reply Delete VIEWER DISCRETION IS STRONGLY ADVISED. Last year, there were 2,513 killings in tourist hotspot Tijuana . 17 555 49 1. Adults and children are forced to work in CJNG's crude meth super labs vats on patches of dirt hidden in the jungle. Passed over for promotion, ElMenchoteamed withhis in-laws who ran an affiliatedcartel and forged his own criminal organizationin early 2011 CJNG. Yet, no sooner had authorities busted Kentucky's CJNG ringthan the cartel replaced Macias, sending in another team. Los Marros behead man, woman from CJNG cartel, Two men dismembered, ditched on road along with pizzas and cartel narcomantas, CJNG cartel members BBQ dismembered opps in Mexico, Sicarios who brutally stabbed two men to death dismembered in Mexico, Cartel members skin two men alive and wear their faces on their head. Experts estimate that the CJNG also brings in the millions in a multitude of methods aside from the drug trade including illegal mining, human trafficking, money laundering, and the extortion of farmers and their families for a cut in avocado exports and the forced protection payment or else meet a premature death. Robertois awaiting sentencing in Paducah in August for trafficking meth while armed with a gun. The cartel has run brothels in Mexico, often using teens and women forced into CJNG's web. His agents helped on the Farfan investigation. The CJNG could take on the Sinaloa area, Baja California and the Golden Triangle, which it currently does not have in its control, but it's trying," said Wesley Tabor, a retired assistant special agent in charge of Los Angeles Field Division of the DEA. His attorney lobbied for 13 years, claiming his client likely couldn't survive a longer prison stint. Investigators trailed behind Eduardo to the Lloyd Center shopping mall in Portland on July 10, 2018. Walker then secured search warrants to monitor social media accounts, where drug ring members chatted in code on Facebook Messenger. He was thought to be one of the leaders of Carteles Unidos. The unending stream of narcotics has contributed to this countrys unprecedented addiction crisis, devastating families and killing more than 300,000 people since 2013. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Officials in Attorney General William Barr's office declined to comment on The Courier Journal's findings. Market data provided by Factset. The unparalleled speed of CJNGs growth coasttocoast in less than a decade has made the cartel a clear, present and growing danger, says Uttam Dhillon, DEA's acting administrator. . "Once 'safe' areas such as Mexico City and Puebla State and the tourist zones of the Yucatan Peninsula are now contested. The Courier Journal could not say with certainty who supplied the drugs that killed Adam Cooley. He also didn't want to be shunned by his close-knit family for betraying his uncle, a senior relative. 2023www.courier-journal.com. Furthermore, it's part of their propaganda drive to recruit the many youths seeking that "narco"-glamorized life, flashed and filtered by images of beautiful women, mounds of money and a depository of deadly arms. But someCJNGbossesdidnt follow those rules. CJNG took credit on social media for the massacre. Enemies: CJNG, Juarez Cartel, Los Zetas. It has drug cells all across the U.S., even in tiny towns. During Eduardo's detention hearing, prosecutors told the judge the Farfan drug ring was supplied by a Mexican cartel. Members of a cartel cell inKansasCity, withdrug houses in both Kansas and Missouri between 2013 and 2016,splurged on $10,000ticketsto rapper Pitbulls concertand a Louis Vuittonpurse. 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