Jury finds Texas couple guilty of concealing and harboring bakery workers in the US illegally
Leonardo Baez and Nora Avila-Guel, a Mexican couple who have legal permanent residence in the U.S., were charged after being arrested at their bakery along with eight employees in February. It's a rare case in which business owners are charged with criminal offenses rather than just a fine.
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Canada News.Net
2 days ago
- Canada News.Net
In Mexico's war on drugs, 26 cartel members handed over to US
WASHINGTON, D.C.: Mexico has handed over 26 top cartel members to the United States this week, in the latest major cooperation deal with the Trump administration. U.S. authorities say the move is part of a growing effort to crack down on drug trafficking networks that smuggle massive amounts of narcotics into the country. Those sent to the U.S. include Abigael González Valencia, a leader of "Los Cuinis," a criminal group closely linked to the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). Another man, Roberto Salazar, is wanted in the U.S. for the 2008 murder of a Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy. Others in the group are connected to the Sinaloa Cartel and other violent gangs involved in drug trafficking. The transfer marks a critical moment for the Trump administration, which has made dismantling dangerous cartels one of its top Justice Department priorities. It is the second such transfer in recent months. In February, Mexico sent 29 cartel suspects to the U.S., including Rafael Caro Quintero, the drug boss accused of ordering the 1985 killing of U.S. DEA agent "Kiki" Camarena. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi praised Mexico's cooperation. "These 26 men have all played a role in bringing violence and drugs to American shores — under this Department of Justice, they will face severe consequences," she said, thanking Mexico's National Security team for their help. Before the transfer, the U.S. agreed not to seek the death penalty against any of the 26 men or against those sent in February. The earlier February extraditions happened while Mexico was trying to avoid steep tariffs that President Trump had threatened to place on Mexican imports. Last month, Trump spoke with Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum and agreed to delay the 30 percent tariffs for another 90 days to give time for further talks. President Sheinbaum has been more willing than her predecessor to go after Mexico's cartels, but she has also firmly rejected the idea of U.S. military intervention, saying it would violate Mexico's sovereignty. One of the men sent to the U.S. this week was Servando Gómez Martinez, also known as "La Tuta." Once a schoolteacher, Gómez became the leader of the Knights Templar cartel and one of Mexico's most wanted criminals. Captured in 2015, he was sentenced in 2019 to 55 years in a Mexican prison. His cartel once controlled the state of Michoacán, mixing religious-like rituals with ruthless violence, political influence, and total control over local commerce. Abigael González Valencia, another of those extradited, is the brother-in-law of CJNG leader Nemesio Rubén "El Mencho" Oseguera Cervantes — one of the U.S. government's most wanted fugitives, with a $15 million reward for information leading to his capture. Arrested in 2015 in Puerto Vallarta, Abigael had fought extradition for years. Together with his brothers, he led "Los Cuinis," the financial arm of CJNG, helping it grow into one of the most dangerous cartels in Mexico, known for trafficking massive amounts of cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl, and for extreme violence, including murder, torture, and corruption. One of Abigael's brothers, José González Valencia, was arrested in 2017 in Brazil while on vacation under a false name and was later sentenced in a Washington court to 30 years for international cocaine trafficking.
Toronto Sun
3 days ago
- Toronto Sun
U.S. offers $10M reward for United Cartels leader arrest
Attorney General Pam Bondi praised the Mexican government's transfer of 26 wanted fugitives to US custody Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP/File Washington (AFP) — The United States offered a $10 million reward on Thursday for information leading to the arrest of Juan Jose Farias Alvarez, head of the Mexican drug trafficking group Carteles Unidos. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Farias Alvarez, nicknamed 'El Abuelo,' or the grandfather, was one of five high-ranking members of Carteles Unidos — the United Cartels in English — whose criminal indictments were unsealed by the Justice Department on Thursday. 'Today's charges are designed to dismantle the United Cartels and bring their leaders to justice for unleashing death and destruction on American citizens,' Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a statement. The US Treasury Department simultaneously announced it was imposing sanctions on members of the United Cartels and another group known as Los Viagras. 'Treasury, alongside our partners in US law enforcement, will continue to target every effort by the cartels to generate revenue for their violent, criminal schemes,' Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The State Department designated the Michoacan-based United Cartels and other drug trafficking groups as foreign terrorist organizations in February. Aside from Farias Alvarez, rewards of $5 million each were announced for Nicolas Sierra Santana, known as 'El Gordo,' and Alfonso Fernandez Magallon, known as 'Poncho,' and $3 million each for Luis Enrique Barragan Chavez, known as 'Wicho,' and Edgar Orozco Cabadas, known as 'El Kamoni.' According to the Justice Department, the United Cartels are a major supplier of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine to the United States. 'Profits from US drug sales are allegedly used to acquire heavy weaponry, hire mercenaries, bribe local officials, and fund lavish lifestyles for cartel leaders,' it said. The announcement comes two days after Mexico transferred 26 wanted fugitives to the United States, including several high-ranking members of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and the Sinaloa Cartel. The transfer was the second since Republican Donald Trump returned to the White House in January. In late February, Mexico sent 29 accused drug traffickers to the United States, including Rafael Caro Quintero, who was accused of kidnapping and killing US drug enforcement special agent Enrique 'Kiki' Camarena in 1985. Sunshine Girls Sunshine Girls Toronto & GTA World Columnists
Global News
3 days ago
- Global News
How a Tennessee car accident led to U.S. charges against Mexican cartel
The investigation began years ago after two drug dealers got into a car accident in a small Tennessee town. What followed was a series of secret wiretaps, a shootout with police and the discovery of drugs hidden in a tractor trailer that would eventually lead federal investigators back to cartel leaders in Mexico. The investigation culminated with Justice Department indictments unsealed Thursday against three leaders and two high-ranking enforcers of the United Cartels, a leading rival of Jalisco New Generation Cartel. The U.S. government is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the arrest of United Cartels' top leader, Juan José Farías Álvarez — 'El Abuelo,' or the grandfather — along with multimillion-dollar rewards for the four others. All five are believed to be in Mexico. The cases, as outlined in court documents, provide a glimpse into how drugs produced by violent cartels in large labs in Mexico flow across the U.S. border and reach American streets. They also highlight the violent fallout that drug trafficking leaves in its path from the mountains of Mexico to small U.S. towns. Story continues below advertisement 'These cases in particular serve as a powerful reminder of the insidious impacts that global cartels can have on our local American communities,' Matthew Galeotti, acting assistant attorney general in charge of the Justice Department's criminal division said in an interview with The Associated Press. 'The chain started with a violent cartel in Mexico and it ended with law enforcement being shot at in a small town.' United Cartels is an umbrella organization made up of smaller cartels that have worked for different groups over time. It holds a fierce grip over the western state of Michoacan, Mexico. United Cartels is not as widely known as Jalisco New Generation, but given its role as a prolific methamphetamine producer, it has become a top tier target for U.S. law enforcement. It was one of eight groups recently named foreign terrorist organizations by the Trump administration. A car crash and an abandoned protective case The case goes back to 2019, when two dealers got into a car accident in a small town outside Knoxville, Tennessee, according to a search warrant affidavit filed in court. While fleeing the scene of the crash, they threw a hardened protective case filled with meth behind a building before being caught by police, according to court documents. Story continues below advertisement Authorities began investigating, using wiretaps, search warrants and surveillance to identify a man believed to be leading a major drug ring in the Atlanta area: Eladio Mendoza. 0:52 Homeland Security secretary thinks Mexican cartels are 'desperate' The investigation into Mendoza's suspected drug operation led law enforcement in early 2020 to a hotel near Atlanta. During their surveillance, authorities spotted a man leaving with a large Doritos bag. Troopers tried to stop the man after he drove from Georgia into Tennessee but he fled and fired an AK-style rifle at officers, hitting one in the leg before another trooper shot him. Inside the bag, police found meth and heroin, and identified him as a low-level dealer for Mendoza's drug ring, court records say. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Weeks later, authorities searched properties linked to Mendoza and seized phones. They discovered messages between Mendoza and a close associate of 'El Abuelo,' the leader of United Cartels, that showed the drugs were coming from Mexico, according to the court records. On one of Mendoza's properties, investigators found a tractor trailer that had crossed from Mexico days earlier. When they searched it, authorities seized 850 kilograms of meth hidden in the floor of the truck and discovered more drugs inside a bus and a home on the property, court papers say. Story continues below advertisement Mendoza fled the U.S. a short time later and returned to Mexico, where he was killed by cartels leaders angry that U.S. authorities had seized their cash and drugs, according to prosecutors. Cartels are targeted with terrorist designations The case represents the latest effort by the Republican administration to turn up the pressure on cartels through not only indictments of the groups' leaders but sanctions. The Treasury Department is also bringing economic sanctions against the five defendants as well as the United Cartels as a group and another cartel, Los Viagras. 'We have to pursue these criminals up and down the chain to make sure that the end result doesn't result in violence and narcotics distribution on our streets,' Galeotti said. In addition to 'El Abuelo,' those facing U.S. indictments are Alfonso Fernández Magallón, or Poncho, and Nicolás Sierra Santana or 'El Gordo,' who authorities say lead smaller cartels under the United Cartels organization. The two other defendants are Edgar Orozco Cabadas or 'El Kamoni,' who was communicating with Mendoza, and Luis Enrique Barragán Chavaz, or 'Wicho,' who serves as Magallón second-in-command, according to authorities. Story continues below advertisement The Trump administration has seen major cooperation from Mexico in recent months in turning over cartel leaders wanted by U.S. authorities. In February, Mexico sent the U.S. 29 drug cartel figures, including drug lord Rafael Caro Quintero, who was behind the killing of a U.S. DEA agent in 1985, to the U.S. And on Tuesday, the Mexican government transferred to American custody 26 additional cartel leaders and other high-ranking members, including a man charged in connection to the killing of a Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy. 'We're working with the Mexican authorities to pursue these individuals,' Galeotti said. 'We continue to work proactively with them, and we expect that they'll be helpful with us in securing the presence of these individuals in United States courtrooms.'
