U.S. Department
of Justice
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
MEDIA INQUIRIES: KATHY COLVIN |
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WEDNESDAY, JULY 13, 2011
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LAW ENFORCEMENT DISMANTLES MAJOR COCAINE AND HEROIN DRUG TRAFFICKING ORGANIZATIONS OPERATING IN THE DFW METROPLEX U.S. Attorney Says Arrests Will Severely Disrupt the Supply Network for Cocaine and Heroin FORT WORTH, Texas — Numerous defendants, charged in four federal criminal complaints with various offenses related to their operation of a massive cocaine and heroin distribution conspiracy since May 2005 in the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) metroplex and throughout North Texas and elsewhere, were arrested yesterday, announced U.S. Attorney James T. Jacks, of the Northern District of Texas, Special Agent in Charge Robert E. Casey, Jr., of the FBI, Special Agent in Charge James Capra of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Special Agent in Charge Andrea D. Whelan, of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). During the course of executing the arrest and search warrants in this Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation, law enforcement seized heroin, cocaine, firearms, vehicles and cash. These four related complaints have been partially unsealed as to the defendants arrested. All those arrested locally are expected to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey L. Cureton beginning at 1:30 this afternoon, at the Parker County Jail in Weatherford, Texas. Some defendants have been charged in more than one complaint. The second complaint also charges numerous individuals with conspiring to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine. Individuals charged and in custody in this complaint include: Cristian Ocana, aka “Cri Cri,” 36, of Grand Prairie, Texas The fourth complaint charges several individuals with conspiring to engage in a monetary transaction in criminally derived property (drug proceeds) and conspiring to commit money laundering by transferring funds (drug proceeds) from the U.S. to a place outside the U.S. to avoid transaction reporting requirements. Individuals charged and in custody on this complaint include: Rigoberto Orozco, aka “Rigo,” 34, of Mansfield, Texas Another related complaint, filed on May 10, 2011, and partially unsealed after some arrests were made shortly thereafter, also charges several individuals with conspiring to posses with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine. Individuals charged and in custody on this complaint include: Leonardo Gonzalez, aka “Casper,” According to the complaints filed, some or all of the defendants were involved in running large scale drug trafficking organizations by transporting the drugs from Mexico into the metroplex, and throughout North Texas and elsewhere, including Atlanta, Baltimore, Philadelphia and Nashville. Some of the defendants used stash houses, known as “traps,” to receive and store the drugs and cash proceeds. One such location was a warehouse on Northhaven Road in Dallas. On April 21, 2011, some of the defendants listed in the above-referenced complaint filed on May 10, 2011, committed the armed robbery of that warehouse, holding two men at gunpoint. The robbers left and divided the stolen drugs and cash among themselves. A federal criminal complaint is a written statement of the essential facts of the offenses charged, and must be made under oath before a magistrate judge. A defendant is entitled to the presumption of innocence until proven guilty. The maximum statutory penalty, however, for each of the drug offenses is not less than five or more than 40 years in prison. The maximum statutory sentence for conspiracy to commit money laundering is 20 years in prison. All carry substantial fines. The U.S. Attorney’s office has 30 days to present the matters to a grand jury for indictment. ###
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