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Saturday, July 16, 2011

Largest meth bust in Nevada history, Mexican immigrants arrested


By CRISTINA SILVA, Associated Press

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Ten illegal immigrants from Mexico were arrested on drug trafficking charges after federal and Las Vegas law enforcement officials seized 212 pounds of drugs worth an estimated street value of $5.7 million in the largest methamphetamine bust in Nevada history, authorities announced Thursday.

Police also seized $280,000 in cash, six guns and nine vehicles used for drug trafficking after searching nine residential properties in Las Vegas and Henderson on Tuesday.

Law enforcement officials heralded the record bust as a significant blow to Las Vegas' illegal underground that would be felt by every player, including drug bosses, small-time dealers and users hoping to score on the street. The raid yielded four pounds of heroin and 208 pounds of methamphetamine in varying stages of processing, from its liquid form to the crystal-like pieces sold on the street in small quantities for consumption.

In all, 11 men and women were arrested in this week's raid, including Mexican nationals Jorge Loza, 26; Armando Lara, 37; Sergio Vieyra-Medrano, 37; Oscar Cavadas, 26; Felix Roman, 27; Salvador Garibo, 27; Cecilia Salgado, 55; and Alejandro Gomez, 31. Mayra Torres, 28, of California was also arrested. One juvenile was not identified because of his age and the name of another suspect was withheld. They all face drug trafficking charges.

It's unclear how long the illegal immigrants have been in the United States or how they entered the country. Police said the operation was run by Cavadas.

"Cavadas has been identified as a high level drug trafficker who distributes pound quantities of methamphetamine throughout the Las Vegas valley," an arrest report states. "Detectives know that Cavadas maintains houses which he stores methamphetamine and utilizes runners to facilitate his narcotics trafficking."

Detectives watched Cavadas deliver a five pound bag of methamphetamine to a Las Vegas customer on June 6. They later learned Cavadas was scheduled to receive a massive shipment of the drug on Tuesday from Torres, who drove in from California.

Police observed Torres leave Cavadas' home Tuesday night. Police soon stopped her and found $270,000 in her car, the money she collected for delivering the shipment, according to an arrest report. In Cavadas' home, police found 40 pounds of methamphetamine in a master bedroom converted into a makeshift drug lab.

The investigation began in January and police officials said they are still trying to determine whether Cavadas has ties to Mexico's brutal drug cartels. The drugs were manufactured in Mexico and smuggled across the border into the United States.

Officers from Las Vegas, North Las Vegas and Boulder City joined officials from the federal Drug Enforcement Administration and the Nevada Highway Patrol in the raid. No law enforcement officials were injured during the searches. Law enforcement officials said they could not reveal what event prompted the investigation because the case remains open.

"You are finding more and more that these drug trafficking organizations are pushing inland," said Paul Rozario, an assistant special agent for the DEA.

If they are ultimately found guilty, the illegal immigrants likely will serve their time in the United States before they are deported, Rivera said.

The seized vehicles had been modified to include several secret compartments to store the drugs. Law enforcement officials said they had not linked the seized guns to any reported violent crimes.

24 comments:

  1. I read about busts in Mexico all the time and it's funny that there is almost never any mention of cash and if there is it is a very small amount.

    In the US I guess they are just lucky that they find large sums of money when they make a big drug bust.

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  2. $280,000.00 dollars? that's peanuts to the real american bosses...

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  3. The money usually pays for Political campaigns. Can't just let it sit there n go to waste! Lol

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  4. Hard working illegals my ass!

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  5. This guys are from Mexico, that all they tell us!!!Well why not tell us from what part of Mexico they're from that definitely gives us an idea of what cartel they belong to or receive the shipments from.

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  6. @July 16, 2011 2:23 PM

    They are hard working, but these are hard working "illegals" supplying American drug addicts jaja. Its a tough job esp with so many drug addicts in your country jaja

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  7. @ July 16, 2011 12:24 PM:

    It's probably because money is 10x more important to the cartels than the drugs. The drugs they can always get more of, but the money is what they are doing all this for. It's very compartmentalized, they never have the money in the same places drugs are kept or stored.

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  8. Just thinking, Torres brought it from California. La Familia was running through that plaza but so is the Sinaloans. La Familia is in turmoil but that doesn't mean it wasn't them. It is probably one or the other. LOL, they will probably say it was "those damn Zetas." They are fixing to take over the world you know. (LOL)

    That is a good load of amphetamine, it goes a lot farther than cocaine and is much more profitable. Four pounds of heroin doesn't sound like much either bit if it was pure, I might supply the junkies in Las Vegas for a month. Anyone have a guess on that? Heroin is high dollar. I would like to know the frequency of the loads before I write it off as a small time operation.

    This one smells like Sinaloa.

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  9. @12:54 280,000 dollars to traffic 5.7 million worth of wholesale methamphetamine is not bad at all. I wonder of much of the 5.7 million do the cartel operatives in U.S get and how much of that goes back to Mexico?

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  10. You know, Mexico would not be supplying the United States of America, if there were No DEMAND, you dam ass, stupid American Racists Fuckers, Mexico is in it for Money, the Good Ole U. S of A, supplies guns, ammunition, and every thing else, the U.S. ATF sends and allows for assault rifles to go through from U.S to Mexico, called Aka (Operation Fast and Furious). Illegally or Legally, U.S. Sends Mexico Military Assault rifles and guns, etc. The Factories that Manufacture guns and rifles here in the States are making lots if money, due to this, even the stores or Online stores are making Lors and Lors of Money, and as for you Stupid Ass White population of U.S., you are all Racists Fuckers, remember the ground you walk on or live on here on the West Side, was Mexico

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  11. Bienvenida a Los Estados Unidos de América. Ahora vaya a encarcelar!

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  12. It Could have been any cartel yes any.Not just Sinaloa eventhough I kinda doubt it was Los caballero templerarios with all the problems there having but that's just my opinion.

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  13. @4:56
    The operatives on this side of the border don't make much money at all. If a person is used to convert methamphetamine to "ice" they only receive approximately $100-200 per processed pound. The wholesalers are only making a profit of about $500 per pound. Hope that answers your question and sheds light on the situation...operatives in the US do not profit nearly as much as the kingpins in Mexico. BTW, the prices I speak of are for California.

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  14. Harry Reid should be worried. There goes money for his campaign fund he was going to funnel to Obama. No spillover from Mexico right? It wasn`t violent this time, but next time it might be. These bury your head in the sand,don`t offend Calderon politicians better cut the PC crap and wake up.

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  15. "They are hard working, but these are hard working "illegals" supplying American drug addicts jaja. Its a tough job esp with so many drug addicts in your country jaja"
    @July 16, 2011 3:12 PM

    most definitely true! You know how they leave all the dirty jobs and jobs that americans think they are too good to handle..so someone has to do it...

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  16. July 16, 2011 5:19 PM

    And as one of those "racist Americans" who has bloodlines in mexico, I am fucking glad that the lower states now belong to the great ole US of A thanks to the purchases we made. We still have more freedoms than mexicans and I appreciate every single one especially the 2nd amendment.

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  17. Lol trust me if mexico could sell guns to the cartels they would so get off your high horse.

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  18. Well at least they arrested someone. In Texas, I am seeing/hearing many instances where the Police here are letting let them go if they are Mexican. They found 15 kidnapped people in Austin and charged the Kidnappers with mis-demeanors and let them go. Thank the new "Latino" police chief in Austin, TX for that one.

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  19. 2:38 PM Said "Well why not tell us from what part of Mexico they're from that definitely gives us an idea of what cartel they belong to"

    Answer: Most folks are not as clued in as BB readers. They dont know what to print, or what is important. Many US police depts are similarly ill informed.

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  20. funny thing is that before this bust there was another in Reno, but for less weight... CDS might be behind this cause AFO and FM use to run there drugs through NV..

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  21. Why they call immigrants?They are illegals!

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  22. yeah here in the u.s. they do mention the money confiscated but not all of it. there is a chunk missing guess who got it one or corrupt agents

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  23. DONT HATE CONGRADULATE

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