Nine Defendants Indicted in North Dakota for Roles in International Drug Trafficking Conspiracy with Ties to a Federal Prison in Florence, Colorado

FARGO – United States Attorney Mac Schneider announced that nine defendants have been indicted in the District of North Dakota for drug trafficking and money laundering crimes after a year-long, multi-agency, transnational investigation. The following defendants have been indicted in the case: 

Jesus Amurahaby Celestin-Ortega, 26, Florence, Colorado

          Charges: Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances, Conspiracy to Import Controlled Substances, Money Laundering Conspiracy, Continuing Criminal Enterprise

Trinidad Torres Meraz, 58, Riverside, California

          Charges: Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances, Conspiracy to Import Controlled Substances, Money Laundering Conspiracy

Edgar Hernandez, a/k/a Ivan Edgar Hernandez Vasquez, 43

           Charge: Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances

Maria De La Cruz Estrada Moreno, 40, El Paso, Texas

          Charges: Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances; Conspiracy to Import Controlled Substances, Money Laundering Conspiracy

Jesse Rocha, 25, Denver, Colorado

           Charge: Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances

Rafael Bueno-Nava, 49, Fridley, Minnesota

          Charges: Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances, Conspiracy to Import Controlled Substances, Money Laundering Conspiracy

Ryan James Stevens, 41, Arvada, Colorado

          Charges: Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances, Conspiracy to Import Controlled Substances

Christan Ivan Gonzalez, 31, Phoenix, Arizona

          Charge: Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances

Martina Lucia Mendez, 26, Gilbert, Arizona

          Charges: Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances, Conspiracy to Import Controlled Substances

According to court documents, since January 2022, Jesus Amurahaby Celestin-Ortega, also known as Flaco, 26, allegedly engaged in drug-related and money laundering conspiracies, and a continuing criminal enterprise, while incarcerated at a federal prison on unrelated drug and firearm charges. Celestin-Ortega allegedly operated a criminal network using a contraband cellphone from inside the federal prison to import and distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine, more than one kilogram of heroin, and more than 400 grams of fentanyl. Celestin-Ortega allegedly directed and coordinated the importation of the substances into the United States and their distribution within North Dakota, Minnesota, California, Colorado, Georgia, Missouri, Texas, Arizona, and elsewhere. Celestin-Ortega also allegedly conspired to launder drug proceeds from the United States to Mexico.

Celestin-Ortega and six of the co-conspirators have been arrested on the indictment and have made their initial appearances in court. Hernandez and Mendez remain fugitives. 

If convicted, the defendants face a maximum penalty of life in prison on the drug distribution conspiracy counts and the importation conspiracy counts, and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the money laundering conspiracy counts.

This case is part of Operation Wedding Day Blues, with support from the multi-agency Special Operations Division (S.O.D.) near Washington, DC, an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation into the international trafficking of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and heroin into North Dakota and other states. OCDETF investigations identify, disrupt, and dismantle the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

An Indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

This case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, Drug Enforcement Administration, United States Postal Inspection Service, Internal Revenue Service-CID, Grand Forks Narcotics Task Force, North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation, and Grand Forks Police Department. The Federal Bureau of Prisons National Gang Unit provided critical investigative support from the outset and was an integral part of the investigative team.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher C. Myers and Matthew P. Kopp, District of North Dakota, and Trial Attorneys Lernik Begian and Tara Arndt, Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section, Criminal Division, Washington, D.C.

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