Federal indictment ties Norcross business to 2 Mexican drug cartels, $8M reward offered
Agents accuse them of laundering money for two Mexican drug cartels: La Nueva Familia Michoacana and The Jalisco New Generation Cartel.
The family members include David Vinalay, Jerome Lewis, Irving Hernandez, Beatriz Hernandez Chilel, and Karina Perez Hernandez.
Agents accuse the men of the family of bringing drug money to the women of the family who would then wire it back to cartel leaders in Mexico. Investigators said they'd do that through their check cashing business in Norcross called La Pulga Esperenza.
'The defendants allegedly trafficked high volumes of fentanyl and other deadly drugs into our community and then laundered the illicit proceeds of their activities as directed by a Mexico-based drug trafficker, including more than $1 million during a mere two-month period,' Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie, Jr said. 'Although these individuals took great measures to conceal their alleged criminal conduct, a determined and coordinated effort by our federal and local law enforcement partners helped to secure the federal charges in this case.'
Agents said that arrest should put a dent in the cartels' money laundering scheme.
Monday night, investigators said they arrested five suspected dealers in Douglasville and took $300,000 worth of money, guns, and jewelry from them. They also confiscated 100 pounds of fentanyl during the bust.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
'That's about 23.5 million lives that will be saved,' the DEA's Special Agent in Charge Jae Chung said.
Also this week, agents said they added La Nueva Familia Michoacana to the terrorist organization list.
'This speaks volumes about the level of threat and the seriousness that federal law enforcement is taking this,' said Homeland Security Investigations Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Steve Schrank.
Channel 2′s Courtney Francisco was at the news conference where rewards totaling $8 million were issued for brothers 52-year-old Johnny Hurtado Olascoaga, also known as El Pez, and 41-year-old Jose Alfredo Hurtado Olascoaga, also known as El Fresa, who are both accused of leading La Nueva Familia Michoacana.
You could get $5 million for turning in Johnny and $3 million for turning in his brother Jose to federal agents.
A Federal Grand Jury in Atlanta indicted them for conspiracy to manufacture, import, and distribute cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and fentanyl to the United States. Agents believe they are likely in Mexico. You can send tips to the DEA at 404-281-3220 through the encrypted messaging apps WhatsApp or Signal.
TRENDING STORIES:
3 arrested as protestors disrupt Marjorie Taylor Greene town hall
Little Caesars' attack leads to police raid at suspect's home, uncovers fentanyl and guns
Witnesses say driver celebrated after chase, crash that killed 19-year-old innocent driver
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Trump 'border czar' responds to California farmworker's death after immigration sweep
President Donald Trump's "border czar" Tom Homan responded to the reported death of a Mexican farmworker following an immigration raid in California, calling the fatality "unfortunate" but defending Immigration and Customs Enforcement's actions in the area. "It's sad. It's unfortunate," Homan told CNN's Dana Bash on "State of the Union." "It's obviously unfortunate when there's deaths," he said. "No one wants to see people die." Jaime Alanis, 57, died July 12 from injuries sustained the day before, when immigration agents swept through two cannabis farms north of Los Angeles and arrested around 200 people. According to multiple reports, Alanis climbed to the roof of a greenhouse in alleged attempt to evade officers. He then fell about 30 feet and broke his neck. Alanis died the next day in an area hospital. In his interview with CNN, Homan defended immigration officials, saying they were "doing their job" at the time of Alanis' fall. "He wasn't in ICE custody," Homan said. "ICE did not have hands on this person." Other workers were critically injured, according to United Farm Workers President Teresa Romero. The enforcement sparked a chaotic scene at the cannabis farms, the USA TODAY Network in California reported. On the morning of July 10, immigration agents descended on Glass House Farms near Camarillo and in Carpinteria – a greenhouse complex that is one of the state's largest marijuana farms. They blocked the main road and clashed with protesters until after dark as agents detained farm workers. The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement July 11 that, in addition to the arrests of undocumented workers, "law enforcement rescued at least 10 migrant children from what looks like exploitation, forced child labor and potentially human trafficking or smuggling." Trump's immigration crackdown, a centerpiece of his reelection bid, has led to an increase in such raids. Alanis' death is the first known fatality to result from the administration's enforcement effort. Contributing: Isaiah Murtaugh and Cheri Carlson
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Trump news at a glance: Trump shocks EU and Mexico with tariffs as he gives Ice agents ‘total authorization' to protect themselves
Donald Trump has said he will impose tariffs of 30% on the European Union and Mexico from 1 August, threatening Europe that it would pay a price if it retaliated and telling Mexico it had not done enough to stop North America from turning into a 'Narco-Trafficking Playground'. 'If for any reason you decide to raise your Tariffs and retaliate, then, whatever the number you choose to raise them by, will be added onto the 30% that we charge,' he wrote in a letter to the EU. EU trade ministers will meet on Monday for a pre-arranged summit and will be under pressure from some countries to show a tough reaction by implementing €21bn ($24.6bn) in retaliatory measures, which they had paused until midnight the same day. Here are the key US politics stories at a glance: Donald Trump announced on Saturday that goods imported from both the European Union and Mexico will face a 30% US tariff rate starting 1 August, in letters posted on his social media platform, Truth Social. The tariff assault on the EU came as a shock to European capitals as the European Commission and the US trade representative Jamieson Greer had spent months hammering out a deal they believed was acceptable to both sides. Read the full story Donald Trump has given 'total authorization' to federal immigration agents to protect themselves after a series of clashes with protesters, including during enforcement raids on two California cannabis farms. 'I am giving Total Authorization for Ice to protect itself, just like they protect the Public,' Trump posted on Truth Social on Friday, adding that he was directing the homeland security secretary, Kristi Noem, and border czar, Tom Homan, to arrest anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) protesters who impede immigration enforcement operations. Read the full story Recently departed officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) say the organization is dangerously underresourced and overstretched in the event of further natural catastrophes, as the cleanup continues from this month's torrential rain storms and flooding in Texas that left more than 120 dead. Read the full story FBI director Kash Patel has denied swirling resignation rumors over reported unhappiness at a justice department decision to close the book on Jeffrey Epstein after administration officials teased a big reveal earlier in the year. In a Saturday social media post, the agency director said: 'the conspiracy theories just aren't true, never have been. It's an honor to serve the President of the United States – and I'll continue to do so for as long as he calls on me.' Read the full story David Gergen, a veteran of Washington politics and an adviser to four presidents, Republican and Democrat, has died aged 83. As US regulators restrict Covid mRNA vaccines and as independent vaccine advisers re-examine the shots, scientists fear that an unlikely target could be next: cancer research. Catching up? Here's what happened on Friday 11 July.
New York Post
6 hours ago
- New York Post
Gov. Newsom, protesters target JD Vance with his family as they visit Disneyland
Protesters and even California Gov. Gavin Newsom targeted Vice President JD Vance as he visited Disneyland with his family this weekend. Sharing a video of Vance with his family at the Southern California theme park, Newsom wrote, 'Hope you enjoy your family time, @JDVance. The families you're tearing apart certainly won't,' in a post on X on Saturday. Some 100 to 150 protesters gathered outside the gates of the 'Happiest Place on Earth' to jeer Vance and his family on Friday and Saturday after his presence at the park was reported, according to the Orange County Register. Protests were also held in Anaheim while the vice president was in Southern California, where a number of immigration raids have taken place in recent months. Advertisement 5 JD Vance visited Disneyland this weekend with his family. Bruce/javiles / BACKGRID On Saturday, a small crowd also gathered at the Grand Californian Hotel, adjacent to the park, where Vance is believed to be staying, KTLA reports. Some of the protesters waved Mexican flags. Advertisement Vance's visit to Disneyland with his wife, Usha, and at least two of their children is a private visit and not a political one. 5 The Vice President was all smiles as he toured the California theme park. Bruce/javiles / BACKGRID The visit came one day after two major ICE raids on farms in Ventura County, with around 200 suspected undocumented immigrants detained by federal agents. One person died following the raids, while others were critically injured and some are still unaccounted for, Fox 11 reports. Advertisement Local Democrats appeared to encourage the protests targeting Vance and his family this weekend. 5 California Governor Gavin Newsom targeted Vance's visit to the Golden State. Getty Images 'I'm offended by the visit, because so many families are being terrorized by the policies from the federal government,' Orange County Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento, a Democrat, told KTLA on Friday. However, local Republicans called for dialogue rather than protesting the vice president family. Advertisement 5 Protesters waving Mexican flags stood outside the hotel where the VP was believed to be staying. FOX 11 Los Angeles 'I do think it's an opportunity for us, instead of casting stones, to cast a wider net,' Orange County Republican colleague Don Wagner, told KTLA. 'We've had questions about ICE operations in Santa Ana. This could be a chance to engage rather than stay away.' 5 Usha Vance spoke to the children of serving military members before going to the theme park. Snorlax / MEGA Vance and his family flew into John Wayne Airport on Friday, when the Second Lady visited Camp Pendleton to read to the children of active duty member of the military, and talk about her summer reading challenge. Vance's motorcade, a massive security detail, were seen in the park on Friday. Video shared on X showed Vance at Disneyland Bayou Country on Saturday morning.
