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on the border line between the US and Mexico
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Sunday, April 23, 2023

The US Marine Who Led a Mexican Drug Smuggling Operation

"HEARST" for Borderland Beat


Roberto Salazar, a US Marine was caught leading a Mexican drug smuggling group during his military service where he recruited discharged Marines into acting as drug runners. This week a judge sentenced him to 12 years in prison.


Outside of an American federal court, U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman told reporters “Roberto Salazar served as a Marine, but he was also leading a secret life as a drug trafficker and a leader of a drug-trafficking organization."



"He was supposed to be protecting and defending our country, but instead he was bringing tremendous harm to Americans by importing fentanyl and other deadly, dangerous drugs into the United States.”




How It all Began

Throughout his childhood, Roberto Salazar II split his time between the US and Mexico, often traveling into the Mexican border city of Tijuana


His defense attorney Andrew Nietor claimed Roberto was indoctrinated into the drug world by his father, Roberto Salazar I, who was “both abusive and absent.” When Roberto was just 9 or 10 years old, his father was deported back to Mexico. 



Roberto’s trips across the border took on a new nature in 2013, when 16-year old Roberto began smuggling humans into the US. Roberto switched to smuggling drugs, specifically heroin, later that year. 



When Roberto turned 18, he began attending Southwestern College, located in Chula Vista, California. There, he recruited one of his college classmates into drug running for him. 


Over the last two years, Roberto had grown to favor a particular smuggling method in which vehicles stashed with drugs were driven across the US border, through legal ports of entry.



Roberto preferred to utilize BMW vehicles which were known to have a “unique engine compartment” that was perfect for stashing drugs inside. The design of this engine compartment appeared innocuous and was often overlooked by US border agents. 



Roberto focused on obtaining the right vehicles for the scheme and paid others, such as his college classmate, to do the actual driving. 


During drug runs, the drivers took Roberto’s vehicles across the border, parking them at a specific auto shop in Tijuana. Workers at the auto shop loaded up the vehicles with drugs and then the drivers would take the vehicles back across the border. 



In 2016, when Roberto was 19, his college classmate got busted at the San Ysidro border crossing with 5 pounds of cocaine and more than 20 pounds of methamphetamine - all hidden inside a vehicle. Roberto’s involvement with the drug shipment, however, never came to light and he continued to recruit more drivers. 





The Drug Smuggling Marine

In 2018, Roberto, now 21-year old, joined the US Marines. According to US prosecutors, the only time Roberto ever paused his drug running schemes was during Marine Corp boot camp and he resumed them shortly after boot camp ended. 



He was eventually stationed in San Diego, at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar where he worked as a radio operator. He continued managing his drug smuggling operation as an active duty US Marine. 


Roberto’s attorney claims that he only resumed drug trafficking due to financial concerns. The Los Angeles Times writes that during this period, Roberto gained full custody of his daughter. Roberto’s lawyer claims he began smuggling again because he was struggling to make ends meet "while living on the wages of an enlisted Marine.” 


Roberto’s plea agreement detailed how he would sometimes forgo using drivers and make the smuggling trip across the border himself. 



In 2020, Roberto commissioned a Mexican musician to write a song about his life and success in drug smuggling. 


This type of commission is common practice in the Mexican underworld. Bands are often paid to write a narcocorrido, a style of Mexican ballad which praises a crime figure’s successes, by the crime lords themselves. 



According to prosecutors, Roberto suggested specific lyrics like “I wanted to study and I became a soldier, but I liked the fast life better” to the musician. The San Diego Tribune adds that Roberto wanted the song to brag about his abilities as a US soldier. Whether the commissioned song was ever released is currently unclear. 


In 2021, Roberto took notice of two recently discharged US Marines. He approached them and eventually recruited them to become drivers in his operation. The Justice Department’s press release details that Roberto paid the former Marines $2000 USD for each successful smuggling run. 



One of the former Marines moved five shipments successfully across the border. The other made a number of trips but was caught in September 2021, at the San Ysidro border crossing with 14 pounds of fentanyl. The US Attorney’s Office released the image above which shows the package of fentanyl that border officers found hidden in the vehicle. 



It All Catches Up To You

In January 2022, one of Roberto’s drug runners was attempting to make a heroin delivery in Las Vegas when police caught on to him. In a desperate move, the drug runner left a kilogram of heroin on the shelf of a grocery store and fled from the cops, 


The San Diego Tribune writes that Roberto Salazar was “personally involved” in the Vegas heroin deal and suggests that this incident ultimately led to Roberto’s undoing. 

Then things really began to fall apart for Roberto. One of his couriers was pulled over by an officer on Interstate 5 in Oceanside and caught with more than 13 pounds of fentanyl in his car. Another courier was stopped at the Otay Mesa port of entry with more than 17 pounds of fentanyl in his car.



Before the year ended, 26-year old Roberto Salazar was arrested on several drug-trafficking charges. 


In October 2022, Roberto pled guilty in to conspiring to distribute controlled substances, including heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine and fentanyl, and to importing fentanyl into the United States from Mexico. 


In April 2023, Roberto was sentenced to 12 years in prison 


Grossman, the U.S. attorney, declined to say whether Salazar’s trafficking group was connected with any of Mexico’s large cartels.


NCIS Special Agent in Charge Todd Battaglia said that “Mr. Salazar betrayed his oath to the Marine Corps and posed a significant threat to our national security by participating in an illegal operation to smuggle fentanyl into the United States."







Sources: Justice.gov, San Diego Tribune, Los Angeles Times, Associated Press 

61 comments:

  1. Only 12 years, why? Should of fed him a big fat line of fent

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 12 years is a long time these days.

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  2. 2’000 a load for hard drugs what a bunch of dumb asses!!

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  3. Needs to be made an example and given a lengthy punishment.

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  4. Did he hired the 3 stooges to do the drug runs?

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  5. 12 years is a harsh sentence for that. It's because he's a Marine.

    Wish we knew the full Vegas story. They had to have surveillance intercepts on him by that point, or one of his guys was actively cooperating, to pull all his loads in one day, or a few days.

    2,000 a trip or 1,000 a kilo for small loads is about the norm. How much do people think they make? Sometimes they don't even tell them it's meth or fentanyl, but just marijuana, to keep them calmer. You do 2,0000 three or four times a month.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm very curious about that Vegas incident too.

      I spent a lot of time trying to find any news articles covering it but I found nothing.

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    2. Did he get kicked out of the military?

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    3. Yes. Roberto Salazar was dishonorably discharged when he was arrested.

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  6. What year did the guy get busted for smuggling F??

    Very curious to know..

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Which guy are you asking about?

      One of the former Marines that Roberto recruited was caught smuggling fentanyl in September 2021 - but Roberto's involvement in the incident was not discovered at that time.

      Roberto later admitted to organizing the Sept 2021 shipment as part of his plea deal in October 2022.

      Delete
  7. Interesting operator

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  8. 3rd world blood has propensities toward criminality- it's our culture.

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    Replies
    1. Nicht nur das Blut der Dritten Welt

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    2. That third world Alabaman meth isn’t cooking itself up

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    3. Mexico is NOT a third world country.

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    4. 9.44
      Mexico is becoming a Third World Country.

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    5. US has first work fent overdoses.

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    6. Bro, Americans have literally been saying Mexico is a third world country and a failed state since like the beginning of the 2000’s and yet Mexico is still standing 20 years later. Their economy just passed Spain’s economy to become the fifteenth largest economy in the world. https://mexicodailypost.com/2023/01/02/mexico-overthrows-spain-as-the-main-spanish-speaking-economy-in-the-world-economic-league/?amp

      Delete
    7. 10:34
      He is NOT from a third world country, he was born in the US.

      Delete
    8. According to the definition, Mexico is a third-world country. But it's not quite so simple. But using GDP, economic index, and World Bank report, the country is far from being a third world. Mexico enjoys a thriving economy, with the GDP increasing yearly for the past five years.

      Delete
  9. 12 years doesn't seem like nearly long enough for this sort of asshattery. And from a Marine too, for shame.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If anyone knows. His sentence was Maximum 10 years and 10million dollar fine how the hell do ppl pay that off

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  10. Why everyone so worried about Mexico we should be worried about the US. 12 years seems ok what should he get life? he was just a smuggler amd dealer. If he were were a white soldier the world would make him a victim anyways. 12 years is just right.

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  11. 12 years only? What a joke

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    Replies
    1. Biggest fent bust in VA a few years back.girl didn like 2 years and home

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    2. Cuz she a Rat

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  12. The gov been pushing drugs for years nothing new

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  13. For everyone wondering he’ll serve 85% of his sentence.

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  14. Well written and important. Thanks Hearst!

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  15. The cartel which he was working for wasnt mentioned? Ill tell you who he was working for, the corrido says it all and the short 12 yr sentence, 🐭🐸

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  16. He is a traitor but to who ? The USA or mexico lil prick should get 50 yrs oh yeah Calif laws criminals go free

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Federal case = federal sentence

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  17. You losers get a life and stop judging the man! He’s already been judged by a qualified California judge! None of you lames are qualified to judge this man! Compren vida losers!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Shut up. We can judge whoever we want.

      Delete
  18. The only thing that saved him for longer sentence was there was no violence involved we now of.But still people have gotten more for less.But good for him he got a sweet deal selling death.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. He defenetly is snitching, 12 yrs for selling fent? Not a chance

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    2. Kinda doubt it. His sentence is pretty in line with guidelines, and even higher for the most part. I think the sentence is mostly because he was a Marine (officials, law enforcement, other kinds, always get more points for that) and probably his refusal to talk.

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    3. 1:40 its 20 plus bud, for distributting a kilo or more of meth or heroin and with this harder convictions for Fentanilo now a days, he shouldnt be getting anything less than 20, i guess they gave him a brake cause they wanted to know his suppliers for the Fentanilo and he did snitch 100%

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    4. 12 years is light based upon the scope of amount smuggled by for anyone really curious you can probably find his sentencing documents online. It is curious his suppliers were not mentioned. It's a huge hole in the story. Also, where he's listed or not in the bureau of prisons will also give a clue if there's cooperation.

      Delete
    5. 12 years sounds right especially for California, more lenient than other states!

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    6. 3:51 its a federal case, if he was just dealing in CA the sentence would be ok i guess but since he crossed state lines thats what makes it a federal case and the feds wont give you a brake unless you snitch, and thats exactly what he did

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    7. 731 But I suppose that also even federal court judges in California for San Diego or Los Ángeles etc federal
      courts are still more lenient than their other federal court judge counterparts in other states especially red states.

      Delete
  19. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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    Replies
    1. he is a US citizen where tf they finna deport him to retard

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    2. Que significa finna ? veo que lo usan mucho .

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    3. Baraka

      Le dice: el es un ciudadano americano. Para donde chingados lo van a deportar retrasado.

      Entonces la palabra inventada 'finna' significa: lo van/va o apuntó de ser. Todo depende en que contexto lo use uno.

      Delete
    4. Como.sabes.retrasado.que.es.americano.? He will still end up in TJ.doing what he only knows what to do shout weapons he is an embarrassment to veterans and all Chicanos in the us military risking their lives everyday not being like you losers

      Delete
  20. Lee Harvey Oswald was a marine who got framed..
    Who knows, maybe this jarhead is a patsy, too!
    🦎

    ReplyDelete
  21. This guy had a loser and an absent dad who got deported those guys instead of acting like real Americans act like stupid Nacos and get deported they are nothing anything near the Immigrants of the 1940 s and 50 s who came here legally to work and contribute to the USA. Today they have homes in both sides of the border? What the hell is that.?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm wondering the same dude, this new generation of immigrants just want to take advantage of people's taxes!. Fuq' em all!

      Delete
    2. Get ready for The North American Union.
      And The amero

      Delete
  22. Come on dude!; why only 12 years? He needs to stay in for the rest of his fucking life. Dude, I live comfortably with my monthly Army pay (single)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am sorry to hear your pain bro, laws are laws.

      Delete
  23. This guy is tied to El E 1 de PHX AZ

    ReplyDelete
  24. Ok so after you do your time on top of that you get fined like hundreds of thousands of dollars ?! How do ppl pay that off

    ReplyDelete

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