Latest news with #drugcartel
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Father, son indicted on charges of smuggling crude oil, supporting Mexican cartel
The Brief Two Utah men with ties to a South Texas company face federal charges for allegedly supporting the CJNG cartel, a designated terrorist group. They are accused of providing U.S. currency to the cartel and laundering money from illegally smuggled crude oil through their Rio Hondo business. If convicted, the men face up to 20 years in prison for the main charges; authorities also seek a $300 million judgment and have seized assets. TEXAS - Two family members with ties to South Texas face federal charges for allegedly conspiring to provide material support to a Mexican drug cartel designated as a foreign terrorist organization, along with money laundering and smuggling crude oil, federal authorities announced. A superseding indictment returned May 22 in the Southern District of Texas charges Maxwell Sterling Jensen, 25, of Draper, Utah, and James Lael Jensen, 68, of Sandy, Utah, with conspiring to provide U.S. currency to the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG). The U.S. Secretary of State designated CJNG as a foreign terrorist organization earlier this year. The indictment alleges the Jensen father-son duo operated Arroyo Terminals, a company based in Rio Hondo, Texas. They are accused of conspiring to conduct financial transactions to conceal proceeds from illegally smuggled crude oil and aiding the fraudulent entry of approximately 2,881 shipments of oil. What they're saying "This case underscores the more aggressive and innovative approach we are taking towards combatting the scourge of drug cartels," said U.S. Attorney Nicholas Ganjei for the Southern District of Texas, emphasizing a focus on cartel enablers. "Cases like this highlight the often-dangerous relationships between alleged unscrupulous U.S. businesses and terrorist organizations," said ICE Homeland Security Investigations San Antonio Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee. "Through strong collaborations and relentless investigative work, we and our partners exposed a possible large-scale operation that allegedly attempted to move millions in illicit crude oil and launder the proceeds. HSI remains committed to protecting our economy and holding offenders accountable." Dig deeper The investigation, dubbed "Operation Liquid Death," involved U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI, and IRS Criminal Investigation, with assistance from other federal and state agencies. What's next Authorities have seized four tank barges with crude oil, tanker trucks, and other property. The government is also seeking a $300 million money judgment upon conviction. The charges of conspiracy to provide material support and conspiracy to commit money laundering each carry a potential prison term of up to 20 years. Additional smuggling charges carry potential sentences of five to 10 years. Assistant U.S. Attorneys James Sturgis and Laura Garcia are prosecuting the case. The Source Information in this article is from U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement.
Al Jazeera
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Al Jazeera
Five Mexican musicians abducted, murdered by alleged drug cartel
Drug cartel members are suspected of murdering five Mexican band members, who went missing after being hired to perform a concert in a crime-ridden city in the northeast of the country. The Diario de Mexico newspaper said on Thursday that the bodies of the five musicians had been discovered after they went missing on Sunday, and nine suspects were arrested in connection with their abduction and killing. According to authorities, the nine suspects are part of the 'Los Metros' faction of the Gulf Cartel, which operates in the city of Reynosa, in Tamaulipas state, near the United States border. 'Law enforcement arrested nine individuals considered likely responsible for the events. They are known to be members of a criminal cell of the Gulf Cartel,' Tamaulipas Attorney General Irving Barrios told a news conference. Tamaulipas is considered one of Mexico's most dangerous states due to the presence of cartel members involved in drug and migrant trafficking, as well as other crimes, including extortion. The announcement of the arrests came hours after officials said five bodies had been found in the search for the men, who were members of a local band called Fugitivo. The musicians were hired to put on a concert on Sunday but arrived to find that the location of their proposed performance was a vacant lot, according to family members who had held a protest urging the authorities to act. Relatives had reported receiving ransom demands for the musicians, who were aged between 20 and 40 years old. Mexican musicians have been targeted previously by cartel members amid rivalry, as some receive payment to compose and perform songs that glorify the exploits of gang leaders. Investigators used video surveillance footage and mobile phone tracking to establish the musicians' last movements, Barrios said. Nine firearms and two vehicles were seized, he said. More than 480,000 people have been killed in drug-related violence and organised crime, and about 120,000 people have gone missing, in Mexico.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Yahoo
Cartel leader with $1 million U.S. bounty on his head killed in Mexico
A leader of a notorious Mexican drug cartel who had a bounty on his head in the United States has died in a clash with army troops, authorities said Saturday. Sinaloa state, where the powerful cartel of the same name is based, is enduring a war between two rival factions that has left some 1,200 people dead since September. Jorge Humberto Figueroa — who went by the nickname "El Perris" — was shot and killed Friday in a raid carried out to arrest him, public safety secretary Omar Garcia Harfuch wrote on social media. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) had been offering up to $1 million for information leading to his arrest on suspicion of fentanyl trafficking and money laundering. Figueroa was one of the masterminds of an infamous clash with the authorities in 2019 in the city of Culiacan, Harfuch said. In that case, cartel members fought security forces who had arrested Ovidio Guzman, a son of Sinaloa cartel co-founder Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman. Mexican authorities controversially released Ovidio Guzman at the time, saying they wanted to avoid further bloodshed. But he ultimately was re-arrested in 2023 and extradited to the United States, where he remains in custody. Earlier this month, Harfuch confirmed that 17 family members of cartel leaders crossed into the U.S. recently as part of a deal between Ovidio Guzman and the Trump administration. El Chapo's ex-wife, Griselda Lopez Perez, and her daughter were among the family members to enter the U.S., local media reported. Mexican press reports said Figueroa belonged to a Sinaloa cartel faction run by the sons of the older Guzman, who is serving a life sentence in the United States. This group has been fighting another faction led by heirs of cartel co-founder Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, who was lured to the United States in a sting operation in 2024 and arrested. The newspaper Reforma said Figueroa was head of security for the faction led by Guzman's sons — known as the Chapitos. According to a 2023 indictment by the U.S. Justice Department, the Chapitos and their cartel associates used corkscrews, electrocution and hot chiles to torture their rivals while some of their victims were "fed dead or alive to tigers." 4 women arrested for allegedly aiding escaped New Orleans inmates Biggest takeaways from RFK Jr.'s MAHA report Saturday Sessions: Lucius performs "Gold Rush"
CBS News
24-05-2025
- CBS News
Notorious cartel leader with $1 million U.S. bounty on his head killed in Mexico
A leader of a notorious Mexican drug cartel who had a bounty on his head in the United States has died in a clash with army troops, authorities said Saturday. Sinaloa state, where the powerful cartel of the same name is based, is enduring a war between two rival factions that has left some 1,200 people dead since September. Jorge Humberto Figueroa — who went by the nickname "El Perris" — was shot and killed Friday in a raid carried out to arrest him, public safety secretary Omar Garcia Harfuch wrote on social media. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) had been offering up to $1 million for information leading to his arrest on suspicion of fentanyl trafficking and money laundering. Figueroa was one of the masterminds of an infamous clash with the authorities in 2019 in the city of Culiacan, Harfuch said. Jorge Humberto Figueroa DEA In that case, cartel members fought security forces who had arrested Ovidio Guzman, a son of Sinaloa cartel co-founder Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman. Mexican authorities controversially released Ovidio Guzman at the time, saying they wanted to avoid further bloodshed. But he ultimately was re-arrested in 2023 and extradited to the United States, where he remains in custody. Earlier this month, Harfuch confirmed that 17 family members of cartel leaders crossed into the U.S. recently as part of a deal between Ovidio Guzman and the Trump administration. El Chapo's ex-wife, Griselda Lopez Perez, and her daughter were among the family members to enter the U.S., local media reported. Mexican press reports said Figueroa belonged to a Sinaloa cartel faction run by the sons of the older Guzman, who is serving a life sentence in the United States. This group has been fighting another faction led by heirs of cartel co-founder Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, who was lured to the United States in a sting operation in 2024 and arrested. The newspaper Reforma said Figueroa was head of security for the faction led by Guzman's sons — known as the Chapitos. According to a 2023 indictment by the U.S. Justice Department, the Chapitos and their cartel associates used corkscrews, electrocution and hot chiles to torture their rivals while some of their victims were "fed dead or alive to tigers."
The Sun
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Win a copy of The Chemist by A.A. Dhand in this week's Fabulous book competition
IF you enjoyed the Beeb's recent thriller Virdee, you'll love this gritty crime read by the same author. Leeds pharmacist Idris doles out methadone to the many addicts in his care, and listens as they open up. 1 But when his childhood sweetheart doesn't arrive for her daily dose, our unlikely hero finds himself thrust into a war between two drug cartels. 10 lucky Fabulous readers will win a copy of this new novel in this week's book competition. To win a copy, enter using the form below by 11:59pm on May 31, 2025. For full terms and conditions, click here.
