"Socalj" for Borderland Beat
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These warrants were the result of a 9-month investigation into information the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office received about a large amount of meth that was being transported between Kings and Tulare County.
The drug trafficking networks sourced their meth from a figure in Mexico connected to the Sinaloa Cartel.
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Operation SLO Ride Details
The Tulare County Tactical–High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Unit (or TNT-HIDTA) investigated these drug trafficking organizations further and developed more information about their operations up and down the state, as well as across state lines. Detectives quickly learned Tulare County was being used as a hub to traffic illegal drugs coming from Mexico.During these operations, more suspects were identified, more drugs were found and more guns and cash were confiscated. In October 2023, TNT-HIDTA and the DEA began working together on a larger-scale operation naming it Operation SLO Ride.
The operation had identified and disrupted two drug trafficking organizations with 28 suspects. Drug Trafficking Operations have been dismantled in Visalia, Tulare, Porterville, Orosi, Dinuba, Corcoran, Armona, Reedley, and Exeter.
"Thursday morning, teams from across the state went after known drug traffickers in our area with direct ties to the Sinaloa Mexican Drug Cartel." Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux reported during the press conference.
"This investigation dismantled, completely dismantled this drug operating cell. Now, they didn't completely get rid of cartels operating here in the Central Valley, but this cell was completely dismantled."
Up until these recent raids, Operation SLO Ride had seized 389 pounds of meth, 70 grams of cocaine, 3.5 kilos of heroin, 8 pounds of fentanyl, about $340,000 in cash, 18 handguns, and 12 rifles.
At the 31 locations, 37 known drug traffickers were arrested; 22 will face federal charges related to narcotics and/or the sales of drugs, and 15 will face state charges.
On Oct. 17, 2023, Alejandro Hernandez Diarte was arrested with approximately 30 pounds of methamphetamine while transporting the drugs from a known stash house in Orange Cove.
On Oct. 21, 2023, Cornell Hicks was supplied with methamphetamine by Flores and subsequently stopped and arrested with the drugs. On Dec. 23, 2023, Hicks purchased methamphetamine from Garcia and was arrested again. During the second arrest, Hicks was illegally in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
On Mar. 6, 2024, Jose Maria Medina-Franco was arrested while transporting approximately 266 pounds of methamphetamine for Alvarado. Medina is also reported to have run a stash house for the drug network.
Adam Sahagun of Tulare allegedly sold firearms and ammunition to a confidential source.
Initially, the Tulare Sheriff told media outlets the massacre was cartel-related. Later, those comments were updated to be "I'm not saying this is a cartel, but I am not eliminating that possibility.”
The operation had identified and disrupted two drug trafficking organizations with 28 suspects. Drug Trafficking Operations have been dismantled in Visalia, Tulare, Porterville, Orosi, Dinuba, Corcoran, Armona, Reedley, and Exeter.
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"Thursday morning, teams from across the state went after known drug traffickers in our area with direct ties to the Sinaloa Mexican Drug Cartel." Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux reported during the press conference.
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"This investigation dismantled, completely dismantled this drug operating cell. Now, they didn't completely get rid of cartels operating here in the Central Valley, but this cell was completely dismantled."
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The operation is part of a greater effort called the High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Program, which works around the country to target drug operations. The investigation included phone taps and confidential sources.
"It's a unique grant program that it funds strategies developed and implemented at the local level by a coalition of federal, state, and local partners," said John Martin, director of HIDTA Central Valley.
"It's a unique grant program that it funds strategies developed and implemented at the local level by a coalition of federal, state, and local partners," said John Martin, director of HIDTA Central Valley.
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"The intelligence we gathered provided a wealth a knowledge, which detailed the full scope of this organization. We knew who was calling the shots, the size of each drug load, who was transporting the drugs, and what their final destination was," said DEA Special Agent Brian Clark.
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Up until these recent raids, Operation SLO Ride had seized 389 pounds of meth, 70 grams of cocaine, 3.5 kilos of heroin, 8 pounds of fentanyl, about $340,000 in cash, 18 handguns, and 12 rifles.
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During this week's operation, a total of 214 pounds of meth, 3.5 kilos of cocaine, 5 shotguns, 15 handguns, 7 rifles, one bullet-proof vest, and $300,476 were seized.
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At the 31 locations, 37 known drug traffickers were arrested; 22 will face federal charges related to narcotics and/or the sales of drugs, and 15 will face state charges.
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- 85 Total Arrests
- 28 Federal Arrests
- 955 pounds of Meth
- 6.5 kilos of Cocaine
- 64,020 Fentanyl pills
- 81 Guns
- 1 Bulletproof Vest
- $640,476 Cash
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Sinaloan Trafficker
Alberto “Beto” Alvarado, 53Mexico
Alleged to be the Mexico-based source of supply who directed the importation and transportation of methamphetamine, cocaine, as well as other controlled substances in Tulare County and elsewhere. He is currently a fugitive from justice. It is reported that "Beto" works for the Sinaloa Cartel (CDS).
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Distributors
Freddy Alvarado, 45Cutler, California
Alleged to have conspired with his brother, Alberto "Beto" Alvarado, to receive approximately 266 pounds of methamphetamine from Medina.
Alfonso Ortiz & Angelica Flores
Tulare, California
Alleged to be a large-scale methamphetamine distributor in Tulare County, who distributed methamphetamine with the assistance of his sister Angelica Flores, alleged to be a methamphetamine distributor and transporter who operated at the direction of her brother.
Lorraine Renteria is Ortiz’s girlfriend and is alleged to have used her vehicle and residence to aid in Ortiz’s distribution of methamphetamine. On Dec. 18, 2023, Renteria purchased a new cellphone for Ortiz after Ortiz informed Renteria that he was being monitored by law enforcement.
Landon Jones, 43
Tulare, California
Alleged to be a pound-level methamphetamine customer of Ortiz, as well as a methamphetamine distributor in Tulare County.
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Transporter & Dealer Arrests
Joshua Brock was arrested on Oct. 1, 2023, after obtaining methamphetamine from Flores. He had previously obtained meth several times before.
On Oct. 17, 2023, Alejandro Hernandez Diarte was arrested with approximately 30 pounds of methamphetamine while transporting the drugs from a known stash house in Orange Cove.
On Oct. 21, 2023, Cornell Hicks was supplied with methamphetamine by Flores and subsequently stopped and arrested with the drugs. On Dec. 23, 2023, Hicks purchased methamphetamine from Garcia and was arrested again. During the second arrest, Hicks was illegally in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
William Bosma of Visalia was arrested on Oct. 24, 2023, after fleeing from police with multiple pounds of methamphetamine previously purchased by Jones from Ortiz.
On Dec. 16, 2023, a vehicle Anthony Ochoa (Vega's Cousin) was driving was stopped resulting in the seizure of approximately 20 pounds of methamphetamine.
On Dec. 20, 2023, Yerlly Vega was arrested while transporting approximately 30 pounds of methamphetamine for Alvarado.
Jennifer Huerta of Visalia was arrested on Dec. 29, 2023, while transporting methamphetamine obtained from Ortiz to Arnold Huerta. Arnold Huerta was also found to be illegally in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Jesus Marin of Fontana is alleged to be a methamphetamine source of supply and transporter who was arrested on Jan. 6, 2024, with approximately 5 pounds of methamphetamine that was supplied by Ortiz.
On Jan. 25, 2024, James Earl Melo was arrested after methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin were seized at his residence.
On Feb. 13, 2024, Edgar Robles Amezquita was arrested with methamphetamine and was found illegally in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
On Feb. 19, 2024, Priscilla Pitts ordered a pound of methamphetamine from Ortiz and was stopped and arrested with the drugs after departing Ortiz’s residence.
On Jan. 25, 2024, James Earl Melo was arrested after methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin were seized at his residence.
On Feb. 13, 2024, Edgar Robles Amezquita was arrested with methamphetamine and was found illegally in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
On Feb. 19, 2024, Priscilla Pitts ordered a pound of methamphetamine from Ortiz and was stopped and arrested with the drugs after departing Ortiz’s residence.
On Feb. 19, 2024, Carlos Fernando Macias Manzo was seen at Ortiz’s residence, unloading three large duffle bags into Ortiz’s garage. On the same date, Macias was stopped by law enforcement, and investigators seized approximately $65,040 in US currency.
On Feb. 20, 2024, Ortiz and Flores allegedly supplied Francisco Garcia with 10 pounds of methamphetamine, which was seized from Garcia during a subsequent stop, and Garcia was found to be illegally in possession of a firearm.
On Feb. 20, 2024, Ortiz and Flores allegedly supplied Francisco Garcia with 10 pounds of methamphetamine, which was seized from Garcia during a subsequent stop, and Garcia was found to be illegally in possession of a firearm.
On Feb. 23, 2024, a vehicle Jorge Avila Perez was driving was stopped resulting in the seizure of approximately 20 pounds of methamphetamine.
On Feb. 25, 2024, Roberto Soria-Cuevas was arrested while transporting approximately 10 pounds of methamphetamine for Alvarado.
On Mar. 6, 2024, Jose Maria Medina-Franco was arrested while transporting approximately 266 pounds of methamphetamine for Alvarado. Medina is also reported to have run a stash house for the drug network.
Jose Ramon Mayorga, 30, is alleged to have purchased approximately 50 pounds of methamphetamine from Alvarado and distributed by Medina and Vega.
Cory Jay Donaldson of Tulare is alleged to have distributed methamphetamine and firearms to a confidential source during controlled purchases. Donaldson has been intercepted multiple times distributing methamphetamine or obtaining methamphetamine from Ortiz.
Cory Jay Donaldson of Tulare is alleged to have distributed methamphetamine and firearms to a confidential source during controlled purchases. Donaldson has been intercepted multiple times distributing methamphetamine or obtaining methamphetamine from Ortiz.
Derrick Wallen, 33, of Tulare, is alleged to have maintained a drug stash house for Alfonso Ortiz and possessed more than 150 pounds of methamphetamine.
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Marie Quaadman, 49, of Corcoran, allegedly sold methamphetamine to a confidential source. She has also been intercepted multiple times ordering various quantities of methamphetamine from Ortiz.
Adam Sahagun of Tulare allegedly sold firearms and ammunition to a confidential source.
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Tulare County Gang Violence
On January 17, 2023, reports of a shooting at 3:35AM occurred in the town of Goshen, in Tulare County, California just west of Visalia. Six were found dead including a teenage mother and her 10-month-old infant, who were found shot out in the road by the house.
Parts of the killings were seen on nearby security cameras. A pair of men are seen, guns drawn entering the driveway and house. Later, the teen mother and her child are seen attempting to escape but jumping the fence. Only to be followed out and shot dead.
A few weeks later, the arrest of the two alleged killers was announced following a shootout with ATF. The killing was the result of a long-standing feud between Sureño and Norteño gang members in the area. Past reports of assaults and shootings between relatives of the victims and their killers.
The family member, on parole from drug charges, who was the likely intended target of the attack wasn't home at the time. During and as a result of the investigation, over a dozen Norteño and Nuestra Familia prison cells were searching for evidence of any communications about the incident.
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2 Ton Meth Bust in Riverside County
The night prior to the recent raids in central California, HSI and Riverside County Sheriff's Department took part in a seizure of 4,038 pounds of methamphetamine. The methamphetamine was seized in the unincorporated area of Riverside County and the City of West Covina in LA County.
It was not reported that there was a connection between the seizure and the group in Tulare County, some 4 hours north. However, the 4,038 pounds of meth reportedly belonged to the Sinaloa Cartel as well.
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So lemme get this straight, multiple members of this network were getting busted almost weekly and some every other day lmao… for months and they just kept pushing business as usual. They didn’t think maybe the Feds were on their helmet?
ReplyDeleteThey’re not the brightest criminals as you can see
Deleteyou really expect criminals to think? trust me they saw someone get taken down and saw opportunity for new position or more money so they took it. im glad they think this way specially if evidence is solid and they spend their life's away im good.
DeleteMeth addicts are the really stupid & clueless
DeleteWhat's all the fuss?
DeleteIsn't this just some innocent folks with some medicine for their health issues?
Why send the cops?
Why not send doctors and nurses to help them?
Didn't the UN and every country in North and South America say all this drug use is just a health issue?
Its cause they see the money nothing else .... the let their guard down and stop looking at everything around em to see if danger is lurking .... and thats all the police need then they pounce and its game over ..... or they just didnt give a fuc- or are stupid
DeleteOr one of the Distributors is the informant giving everybody up or the guy down in mexico givinng he's people up that look to obvious frist or second bust ok but it look like more than 20 in couple months son un chingo alver Cada wey quelevendian tronaba o mandavan recojer or it was a safe house para varias personas, or it was a transportation organization from mexico to California an then to the supply owners ide ai tronaba todo
Deletesomeone call for a mixologist
DeleteBut I thought this couldn't happen in the US because gun advocates wouldn't allow it?
Delete5:47 Wut??? What does drug dealing have to do with firearms? City, county, state and federal LEO took down a whole cell without shooting anyone. See all the cash, drugs and firearms they seized. Also the 4k lbs seized in Riverside.
DeleteGot anything comparable by México?
8:59
DeleteYou should ask the gun advocates who occasionally post "we have guns in the US, they won't mess here".
11:07 OK
DeleteAnd, once again, gun advocates are silenced.
Delete1:03 Drugs get dealt and consumed in many countries. All those firearms this cell had y nada. Got the heaters, jale, feria and freedom taken. Green bologna sandwich for them.
Delete@02:18 mmmm yummy, green olive loaf Bologna - truly. Gourmet
DeleteExcellent work! F¥ck CDS and all of them bully thieving gangs!
ReplyDeleteYup f all those cartel scum bags
Delete👍
DeleteThey will be in jail for a very long time. Kiss them Goodbye..
ReplyDeleteGood riddance!
DeleteCan hardly wait for my tax dollars to feed, clothe, house, and provide legal and medical support to these fine young lads..
Delete🦎
7:55 Green bologna and fake cheese sandwiches for those suckers.
Delete7:55 Not to worry, they will be confiscating some assets they have, that will go into the forfeiture act, thereby it keeps funding Police and DEA.
Delete@07:55 I agree. At this point, Meth should be legalized and sold over the counter at Walmart. Then the Cartel gang bangers and homiez in Cali won't have anything to do - no money.
DeleteJust a minor inconvenience for the world of tweakers!! Meth has never been so cheap and plentiful 10 pounds in used to be a huge bust these fools have to work hard for very small profit margins!! March on Tweaker Nation!!🥁🥁🥁💩🇲🇽🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳
ReplyDeleteHell yeah it’s cheap it as long as they coooking it up it’s going to be cheap
DeleteThey just barley hitting that line out there right now. That line out that way has been operating for years not months.
Delete10:18 Mijo don't matter, if it's been happening 100:years, their asses got busted, too bad they can't bribe officials over here, like they do in Mexico.
DeleteMinor? No inconvenience WHATSOEVER! The US is flooded with meth.
DeleteYou can get an oz of pure meth in CA for $100 retail imagine wholesale or direct it's super flooded with glass sometimes pure blue is available Mexican Heisenberg glass
Deleteprolly have their replacements up and running the county over. customers dont stop so the demand will be met else where.
ReplyDelete@9:35 give em some time give them time to send the next few people down from Mexico to get situated and setup shop some place else where.
Deletethats not how it works. they work independently as a side hussle. A) a CDS member in mexico builds his own network usually to traffic from mexico to the border with a handful of his most trusted men. or B) a CDS member sends 1 trusted assosiate to the other side USA to recive shipment past the border, this senario is less likely and more risky. this is usually done independently as to have more profit, eaxh member of CDS can boost and stunt on each other, thats how you gain power and respect amoungs each other.
Delete09:55@ Are you crazy? That is literally how El Chapo runs his Cartel. They send their couzins to America under the wall through the tunnel. After making it to San Diego, they flock to major cities such as Atlanta, Houston, and Detroit. Then, they wait for the runners to bring the keys in from Mexico -- 1nce a week.
DeleteThe story that they operate like a CIA terror network that is undistributed with no leadership or knowledge of other cartel cells is a bunch bullshit. The runners might not know the infrastructure but the boys getting the shipments dropped sure as hell know whats down in Culiacan because they are from Culiacan.
There's enough relatives of El Raton in the USA coordinating things that they will always have a presence in America. They are truly like vermin or cockroaches and keep multiplying.
The only way to stop them is to cut their heads off like the Highlander. They're part reptile, werewolf, and vampire crossbred with grey aliens from the future.
Dam they barley hitting that line
ReplyDeleteFrom Bakersfield to Fresno bust like these happen routinely. Not too long ago some dudes got busted in BKS with a good amount of cocaine and some vest. This network is/was poorly trained. Absolute clowns.
Delete@11:25 it’s the people they send down to operate that suck, and from the looks of the cri cri being in ziplock they have themselves a cocinero on there hands. Bakersfield Jalisco got but Tulare area has been known for Los d Sinaloa since el Mano negra days.
Delete6:28 I live in the SJV. Not a single DTO dominates any city or county here. There's raza from many states that get clavos direct from México. Others buy from distributors, very likely it'll be people they know. Can't be too careful in those transactions.
Delete@11:25 The Mossad recalled Sicario006 to fight Hamaz, so, things dealing with logistics and training for CDS has been going poorly since his absence.
DeleteFirst off great article. I appreciate the fact it honestly noted that there was really only one cartel associate that didn’t reside in the US. Too many news outlets wanna blurt out it was this cartel or that cartel and don’t wanna own up to the fact that it’s American nationals commuting the crime. Not just Mexicans.
ReplyDeleteSecond at 300/ounce on the street I can’t believe that meth is still worth the risk.
@10:21 Does the nationality of the drug dealers really matter foo? Do you know what the word transnational means? Do you know that there are many Cartel members who are American Citizens and American Veterans?
DeleteStopping the Cartel requires a multifaceted approach utilizing resources of the Pentagon and White House to dismantle, sabatoge, and dissapear the power infrastructure of these DTOs that the CIA and DEA do not control anymore since the 1930s.
So let me get this straight, their people are being popped daily, weekly, monthly by the Feds from Oct '23 thru March '24 and nobody stopped to think their might be a small problem with the operation, partners. Either, they got big balls or no common sense.
ReplyDeleteNo common sense
DeleteThere's a lot of variables
Deleteone is meth use. A lo of these guys were using meth. So the judgement is not always there.
two is not everyone knows or tells other members if they got arrested and released. There's always a lot of suspiciousness in those crews, it's a lot of gang/gang affiliates. And they are naturally distrustful. One person who gets pulled over on a traffic stop, and they take his meth, if he tells, they may cut him out of the crew.
three: most of these guys needed the money weekly to keep their lives going. They can't just pack up and head south, the way other operators do. Their whole family and lives are in Fresno or whatever.
fourth: Sometimes our brains will lend itself to delusional thinking.
ahh lifestyles of the rich and powerful
DeleteBoudreaux is running for Congress
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely right. The timing of these busts suggest political posturing.
DeleteZetas used to have Tulare on lock.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.borderlandbeat.com/2022/11/two-high-ranking-los-zetas-cartel.html?m=1
@2:21 not anymore it’s been Sinaloa for a while bro..
DeleteI wouldnt say that had it on lock, Every Mexican cartel trafficks to California especially the LA area, CDS dominates California
Delete@07:49 How many Mexican Cartels operate inside of the USA besides CDS?
DeleteIn Mexico they just dismantle labs, but don't arrest no one.
ReplyDeleteNone of that cash or coke would’ve made it to the station if this were to happen in Mexico.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to see next mult-bust called "Gatekeeper".
ReplyDelete@9:26 with informants being involved you won’t have to wait, they doing all the leg work for you.
DeleteGangs in Cali have to resort to repackaging the hielo keys into lbs to be able to make any kind of profit.
ReplyDelete924 CDS primarily has always sold in LBS. Early when crystal was ephedrine base was sold in Ks, after 2008 most transitioned to lbs (here in CA) When Nextel became obsolete was when they banned ephedrine and recipe was changed. Aesthetics were there just had no legs (no kick)
ReplyDeletePendejos.you don't shoot women and children hope they get life if they are lucky they better hope Mayo.sends them money for commissary.
ReplyDeleteque pendejos a cada rato los chingan aquí en el valle central necesitan gente más lista
ReplyDeleteOvidio snitching to reduce prison sentence
ReplyDelete