Dozens of couriers throughout the U.S. would then collect the drug profits and use the dirty moneyto buy scrap and fine gold. Last year, a judge sentenced Eduardo to 30 months behind bars, followed by five years supervised release. 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. SEASIDE, Ore. This tranquil coastal town is known for its wide beaches and grand promenade and for becoming a target for drug traffickers peddling meth supplied by a Mexican super cartel. All rights reserved. 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. Last year, there were 2,513 killings in tourist hotspot Tijuana . And though few Americans know his name, authorities promise they soon will. Agents followed Machado-Medrano as he took a taxi to a bus station and headed to a bathroom. The answer, The Courier Journal found, kept pointing to CJNG. "Once 'safe' areas such as Mexico City and Puebla State and the tourist zones of the Yucatan Peninsula are now contested. "As well as those who suffer from a lack of economic opportunity because businesses cannot thrive, and a lack of quality of life because public services, in some ways, do not function well.". Then in September 2020, a video believed to have been filmed in the central state of Zacatecas showed CJNG members directly threatening Ismael Zambada Garca, alias "El Mayo," leader of the Sinaloa Cartel. Farfan agreed to forfeit $100,000, and the judge ordered him to remain on supervised release for five years after he serves his time in prison. Legal Statement. Make no mistake, Taylor said. Known as CJNG, the cartel is a global powerhouse, detected on every continent except Antarctica. 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. 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. Victor Alvarez Farfan, a native of Michoacn, Mexico, headed the Portland drug ring blamed for bringing large amounts of meth, heroin and fentanyl across the border beginning in October 2017. Reporters Jonathan Bullington, Kala Kachmar, Chris Kenning andKarol Suarez contributed to this story. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. It has drug cells all across the U.S., even in tiny towns. Agents and prosecutors didn't openly discuss in court records or hearings which cartel supplied Farfan, but The Courier Journal learned in February that he was supplied by a top U.S. target, the Crtel Jalisco Nueva Generacin the subject of a nine-month investigation and 28-page special report by the newspaper in 2019. He shares intel with the DEA,but not his own people. I don't really care what the prosecutor says.. Selling drugs in bulk to local traffickers, who then sold to area dealers. The DEA's Donahue said many were taken toremote paramilitary camps where they were trained asassassins. Pictures taken of the victims show them blindfolded, with their arms and legs bound. But Mexican President Andrs Manuel Lpez Obrador declined Trump's offer for U.S. troops, saying his country doesn't need help. That fight has been waged across America over the past seven years, federal court records show: CJNG is also using a mix of street gangsand white-collar businessmen to move the drugs and hide the money. To build their lucrativedrug networks in the U.S., CJNG bosses mandated discretion to dodge police attention. For 53-year-old El Mencho, success did not come early. Armas also used a former nurse from Clatsop County who was battling addiction to cart drugs from Hillsboro to the coast. Drug dealers may not have worried about being caught here, in Clatsop County, a 90-minute drive northwest from the bustling city of Portland. In America,ElMenchoexpectscartel members and associates to avoid violence, hidewealth anddisguise their CJNG affiliations, agents say. window.__mirage2 = {petok:"AT9cPsLXmTcu5DvoOKyYtBnoaFpnyDzcOkF8t9PIjh4-1800-0"}; Police arrested Farfan in October 2018 as he and Montes drove toward California on Highway 99 near Roseburg, nearly three hours south of Portland, while towing a car. It was run by a deported felon who kept sneaking back across the border. Zetas behead and dismember four women from the Gulf Cartel The video shows four women on their knees in a field, their hands tied behind their backs. Those who tried to run were tortured, killed and sometimescannibalizedby fellow recruits in what U.S. federal agents describe as a disturbing riteof passage. FBI agents lauded Walker's work, which helped the Bureau and Homeland Security Investigations expose an extensive drug distribution cell that targeted the Pacific Northwest. Agents say he typically travels in a convoy, surrounding himself withdozens of well-trained mercenaries armed with military-grade weapons that can tear through tanks, even aircraft. The CJNG cartel and its backroads drug pipeline had caught the attention of federal authorities, who . And court records detail how the cartel lures those who need money to serve as drug or cash couriers or money launderers. Here you'll find all collections you've created before. To help Maciassmuggle drugs into the U.S., cartel leaders used a Toyota Camry with a secret compartment on the armrest that opened through a sequence of steps: Turnon the heater. ", "He said: 'I'll do the time. However, authorities did find bullet casings. She must report to a federal probation officer for five years. Still, The Courier Journal traveled to Portland, its suburbs, the Oregon coast and Seattle to review court records and interview federal agents, defense attorneys and prosecutors to learn about the Farfan drug ring, its cartel ties and how it finally imploded. 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. "When Eduardo got involved in this he was a very young man, and it was because of a family connection an uncle who had been involved in Mexico organized crime for decades," his attorney, Matthew A. Schindler, told The Courier Journal, referring to Victor Farfan. His attorney, Noel Grefenson, declined comment for this story. The unending stream of narcotics has contributed to this countrys unprecedented addiction crisis, devastating families and killing more than 300,000 people since 2013. The Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) is targeting and killing police officers at their homes in Guanajuato, Mexico's most violent state and the most dangerous for police. or redistributed. "That's the type ofterrorists were dealing with here.". ", "The cartels have become so large and powerful that you sometimes need an army to defeat an army!". From there, Victor Farfan and his inner circle supplied drug trafficker John Armas in Hillsboro. The Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) is targeting and killing police officers at their homes in Guanajuato, Mexico's most violent state and the most dangerous for police. He received credit for time in jail awaiting trial and has since been released and deported. 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. 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. Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart Texas. El Menchos powerful international syndicate is flooding the U.S. with thousands of kilos of methamphetamines, heroin, cocaine and fentanyl every year despite being targeted repeatedly by undercover stings, busts and lengthy investigations. The 56-year-old rose from the humble roots of an avocado growing family, dropped out of primary school to work in the fields, to become one of the most potent drug lords on the planet. CHINESE 'CARTELS' QUIETLY OPERATING IN MEXICO, AIDING US DRUG CRISIS. Mexican cartel murders bride at altar during her own wedding, kidnaps groom, Canada's defence minister pledges 200 armoured personnel carriers for Ukraine during . A nine-month Courier Journal investigation reveals how CJNG's reach hasspread across the U.S. in the past five years, overwhelming cities and small towns with massive amounts of drugs. "Theyre a business," Hammer said of cartels. His chances of surviving the amped up gunmen who are intent on killing him are slim at best. Armas used the couple's home as a drug stash house, paying them with enough meth for their daily fix. Man filmed eating dead body parts of rival Cartel member. After agents toppled the drug ring, the cartel turned on the gang. Much of the violence is attributed to the battle for territorial surface and thus the control oftheillicit drug flow into the United States. The Michoacan Attorney Generals Office revealed that the bodies were removed and the scene was largely cleaned by the perpetrators. In May, a judge sentenced Armas to serve seven years and six months in prison, followed by five years of supervision. Alarmed by CJNG's surging violence in Mexico andcontinued expansion across this country, U.S. officials have pushed back. More:Will El Chapo son's arrest slow export of drugs to US? Someone aware of the Lexington-Louisville operation talked to a DEA agent in 2016, who, in turn, flagged investigators in Kentucky. "If he was, I didnt charge him enough.". He remained in prison until his deportation in 2015, court records show. Police had long known John Armas was a major meth trafficker, but he was careful. Cartel members fired hundreds of rounds and hurled grenades and jugs of gasoline. A veteran Jalisco police officer, whoasked not to be identified for his safety, said CJNG has officials on its payroll at thelocal, state and federal levels. "Theyre killing the next generation, and one of them was my son," Brenda Cooley said. "I know Im not that person," he said, refusing to elaborate. ", "Thats kind of hard to believe, but its true.". Sam Upshaw Jr., Louisville Courier Journal. "He was terrified to talk about this," his attorney told The Courier Journal. Hisoffice has prosecuted Sinaloa and CJNG members. It has drug cells all across the U.S., even in tiny towns. Agents arrested him in 2006, and he was convicted of illegally reentering the U.S. and trafficking cocaine and meth. Classic Of The Genre. Los Cabos allegedly engaged in this violence in support of CJNG, one of the most dangerous transnational criminal organizations in the world. Market data provided by Factset. He is loving, respectful and a very caring human being.". In mid-October, 13 Mexican police officers were killed in an ambush in El Mencho's home state of Michoacn in western Mexico. While Luis Alderete maintains his innocence,court records show that his brother, Roberto Alderete, identified Luis asa cartel lieutenant. The violence of 2015 was a wake-upcall,saidTerryCole, a former New York City police officer who oversees DEA agents in Guadalajaraas the assistant regional director forNorth and Central America. After his escape, the U.S. took its manhunt public. Unlike most cartels and affiliated crime units that permeate Mexico, the CJNG has long posted its most extreme real-life horror films on display for the world to see across social media beheaded bodies left to hang and rot on bridges in broad daylight and beatings so brutal that the sound of bones cracking can be heard. his anguished parents asked. "We consider this cartel to be one of the five most dangerous transnational criminal organizations on the face of the Earth, and it is doing unimaginable damage to the people of this nation," Sessions said. They stormed a hideout west of Guadalajara, but the cartel leader climbed into a vehicle and was rushed to safety. Walker then secured search warrants to monitor social media accounts, where drug ring members chatted in code on Facebook Messenger. A judge sentenced Roberto to three years in custody in January 2021. 21 258 33 0. Brenda and Karl Cooley of Louisville certainly didnt know his name when their son Adam overdosed on fentanyl in March 2017. In a Chicago money-laundering case, a Guadalajara businessman working with CJNG urged an informant to settle his drug debt quickly, describing how cartel members settled another mans debt: "They chopped off his fingers.". "My family knows Im not that person. During his March sentence hearing, Farfan apologized for his crimes, but insisted, "I've never been a violent person. 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. U.S. officials have . He knew he faced deportation back within reach of the cartels. We have all had a drug consumption problem," said the official, who asked not to be identified for his protection. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. All rights reserved. CJNG's plan tomove intosmall-town America and cashin on the country's addiction crisis played out in Lexington, Kentucky. Betrayal led to the drug ring'scollapse. He previously was convicted on federal drug charges in the U.S. and was deported at least twice. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Jason Hoover, who oversaw Walker and teamed to raid area drug houses in the case. More:Mexico-US investigation links cartel downing of military helicopter to Oregon gun supplier, "I know that what I committed was wrong, but believe me, I'm not the worst person here. Balaclava-clad members of the CJNG released a video claiming responsibility for the killings it later emerged that the victims had no connection to organised crime whatsoever. Immigrants, some fleeing criminal violence themselves, can be victimized by cartels on both sides of the border and unfairly targeted by U.S. political rhetoric or perceptions stoked by cartel crime. She recruited helpers, too, and they frequently made deposits of less than $10,000 amounts small enough to dodge federal reporting requirements at bank branches in Nashville and Memphis, Tennessee,as well asGreensboro and Winston-Salem,North Carolina. On the run and out of sight, El Mencho is described by some veteran agents as a ghost. 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. According to U.S. officials, the CJNG is now the primary drug trafficking outfit in 24 of Mexico's 32 states. "It was almost unbelievable, the things we were hearing, theamountof drugs," said Benjamin Taylor, who oversees investigations for Homeland Security in Gulfport, Mississippi. He doesn't make wild errors; he doesn't hesitate; one word for el Mecho is 'calculated,'" Wesley said. Moreover, the spread of crime by gangs 'affiliated' with the cartels increases the number of Mexicans who are victimized by crime indirectly related to cartels," he said. He ran a drug network that trafficked kilos of meth with help from his then-wife, Socorro Elena Gutierrez, from their Washington County home. Many are committed by cartels. GRAPHIC VIDEO: CJNG cartel members behead two men from rival cartel July 12, 2022 UNCENSORED VIDEO BELOW / New horrifying video shows three CJNG cartel members beheading two men from a rival cartel in Mexico. At least three people including a pregnant woman in her early 20s languish in critical condition in Guanajuato,Mexico, after their hands were chopped off and their bleeding bodies were thrown from the back of a truck last week. Farfan got the drugs from CJNG members in Michoacn, a western state long controlled by the cartel, La Familia Michoacna. Agents say Macias didn'tinvolveCalumet in his drug crimes. We see them operating illegal marijuana farms in southern Oregon.". Histestimony helped convict a trafficker connected to CJNG in 2014. "All intelligence indicates hes still there, moving regularly," said Craine, the retired DEA supervisor who led the successful hunt for El Chapo. 2023www.courier-journal.com. "Anyone who does the same will suffer. More:US drug czar wants India to stem flow of chemicals used by Mexican cartels for fentanyl. ", Soldiers stand guard in front of a modified and armored truck as it is displayed to the media at a military base in Reynosa, in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas June 5, 2011. With a fast-swelling arsenal of advanced weapons from stolen cars converted into armored vehicles to drones and high-powered machine guns it's a force to be reckoned. Provided by McCracken County Sheriff's Department. There's a serious danger. CJNG torture video - The man was poured alcohol on his head and set on fire The man was poured alcohol on his head and set on fire The gunmen used isopropyl alcohol to set fire to the man's face and mocked his nickname. 1 killer. He had at least five aliases and kept slipping back into the U.S. As they hovered over a cartel convoy, CJNG members fired Russian-made rocket-propelled grenade launchers, shooting down Morales helicopterinto a cluster of trees. Hearing more details, the investigator, who asked not to be identified to protect his work, acknowledged to The Courier Journal: "Its a great strategy.". Enemies: CJNG, Juarez Cartel, Los Zetas. The victim screamed in pain and begged them to kill him. John Walker in uniform (left), and Walker in his undercover look (right). He said very little while chatting on cell phones, and he changed phones a lot. //]]>. 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. By the time of the hearing, the veteran was 560 days sober. The U.S government has crippled dozens ofbusinessesthat supported CJNGandsentElMenchosson and chief financial backer to prison, along with members of his inner circle. Using others to deposit drug profitsin cartel-controlled bankaccounts. Throughout 2019, reporters analyzed thousands of court records of more than 100 criminal drug cases around the country and talked to more than 150 federal drug agents, police officers, defense attorneys and prosecutors. He dropped out of sixth grade to helphis family pickavocados. "They are also very adept at using social media, such as Facebook and even Tik Tok, to show their strength and aggressiveness. 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. Who was to blame? ", Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. It is a forsaken endeavor to deter CJNG hitmen from infiltrating their neighborhoods. And the lifelong, medieval punishment of physical disability is one that has become synonymous with both state and non-state actors over the years, from ISIS and al-Qaeda to theIranianregime. 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. //