A local attorney remains in federal custody following his arrest Friday, November 2, 2012, by special agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) regarding allegations of money laundering for a Mexican drug cartel.
Marco Antonio Delgado, 46, was arrested Nov. 2 at an El Paso restaurant. He is charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering.
An El Paso-area attorney, Delgado is named in a federal indictment charging that between July 2007 through December 2008, in the Western District of Texas, he conspired with other individuals to launder money believed to be drug trafficking proceeds.
According to the investigation, Delgado is linked to a drug cartel based in Guadalajara, Mexico, and accused of conspiring to launder more than $600 million.
Dennis A. Ulrich, special agent in charge of HSI El Paso, said: "Drug cartels operate solely on the basis of greed. However, when they can also corrupt trusted authorities, the integrity and stability of both countries' financial infrastructure may be at risk."
Delgado had his initial appearance in federal court Nov. 5. His preliminary and detention hearing was set for Nov. 8. If convicted, Delgado faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
This HSI investigation was coordinated by HSI El Paso's financial group and the HSI-led Southwest Border Financial Operations and Currency United Strike Force (FOCUS).
FOCUS was created to detect and target a wide variety of financial crimes in west Texas and the state of New Mexico. This multi-agency financial strike force includes the following agencies: HSI, Internal Revenue Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Texas Alcohol and Beverage Commission. FOCUS works closely with the U.S. attorney's office, ICE's Office of the Principal Legal Advisor, and the U.S. Secret Service.
Each participating agency uses its unique law enforcement authorities to enhance the capabilities of the strike force. FOCUS investigates the following financial crimes: money laundering, mortgage and bank fraud, structuring, unlicensed money transmitting businesses/couriers, and bulk cash smuggling.
A local woman was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison Thursday, June 28, 2012, for her role in a conspiracy to transport and harbor illegal aliens, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson, Southern District of Texas. The investigation was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Petra Hernandez, 35, of Laredo, Texas, was also sentenced by U.S. District Judge George P. Kazen to serve three years of supervised release and 150 hours of community service. Judge Kazen also forfeited Hernandez's personal residence, which was used as a stash house and purchased with proceeds from the alien smuggling conspiracy spanning more than a decade. Hernandez pleaded guilty to the charges Sept. 7, 2011.
On July 10, 2011, HSI special agents executed a search warrant at Hernandez's residence and discovered 16 illegal aliens who had arranged to be smuggled to various parts of the United States. Hernandez was arrested and later indicted along with Rachele Lynn Munoz, 31, of Laredo, for harboring aliens at her home.
On Aug. 1, 2011, HSI special agents received information that a group of illegal aliens had been found in the brush by U.S. Customs and Border Protection's (CBP) Border Patrol. This information led special agents to suspect the person harboring them was Hernandez, who was out of jail on bond. She was again arrested, along with Nancy Rodriguez, 29, also of Laredo.
The indictment was later superseded charging Hernandez, Munoz and Rodriguez with conspiracy to harbor and transport aliens, and four substantial counts of harboring and transporting aliens. Hernandez subsequently pleaded guilty to one count of alien smuggling conspiracy. At the plea hearing, Hernandez admitted to being involved in transporting and harboring aliens from August 2001 through August 2011, and having used the proceeds from the illegal activities to fund a lavish lifestyle, including purchasing a house with cash and a cashier's check.
Munoz and Rodriguez also pleaded guilty to separate counts of alien transporting and alien harboring, and are awaiting sentencing. Munoz was released on bond pending sentencing. Rodriguez will remain in federal custody as an illegal alien subject to deportation after the judicial proceedings.
Hernandez had been on bond awaiting sentencing. However, on May 21, HSI special agents again found her harboring five illegal aliens. She was indicted on those charges June 5, and is currently pending trial on that case. She will remain in custody.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sonah Lee and D.J. Young, Southern District of Texas, prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Ellen Smyth handled the asset forfeiture matter.
A
Mexican couple was indicted Tuesday, May 15, for conspiring to harbor aliens
and alien harboring, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson, Southern
District of Texas. The investigation is being led by U.S. Immigration and
Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with the
assistance of U.S. Customs and Border Protection's (CBP) Border Patrol.
Vicente
Ortiz-Soto and Marcial Salas-Gardunio, both 23 and Mexican nationals, were
indicted on charges of conspiracy to harbor aliens and alien harboring. The
indictment returned May 15 alleges local law enforcement officers, working
alongside federal authorities, were sent to a residence in Edinburg, Texas,
May 2, after a 911 caller indicated he was being held against his will in an
alien stash house.
According
to court documents, upon arrival at the scene, authorities discovered more than
100 undocumented aliens of various countries of origin located in three
separate buildings on the property. One building was chain-locked and several
undocumented aliens who were locked inside the building were treated for
injuries.
Statements
taken from the undocumented aliens indicated they were allegedly threatened by
Salas-Gardunio that they would be beaten or killed if they did not remain
quiet. Additionally, witnesses indicated Salas-Gardunio stated "Welcome to
Hell" when undocumented aliens arrived at the residence.
HSI
arrested the couple May 2 without incident. Both will remain in federal custody
without bond pending trial. A date for their arraignment on the formal charges
alleged in the indictment will be set by the court in the near future.
If
convicted, Ortiz-Soto and Salas-Gardunio could face a maximum penalty of 10
years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 on each count.
Assistant
U.S. Attorney Cory J. H. Crenshaw, Southern District of Texas, is prosecuting
the case.
The
public is reminded that an indictment is a formal accusation of criminal
conduct, not evidence. The defendants are presumed innocent unless convicted
through due process of law.
A
Texas Mexican Mafia member was sentenced Thursday, April 12, to two consecutive
life sentences in federal prison plus 10 years for federal racketeering
offenses and a murder in south Texas.
This sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Robert Pitman, Western District of
Texas.
This
investigation was jointly conducted by the following agencies: U.S. Immigration
and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the
FBI, and the Texas Department of Public Safety's Criminal Investigations
Division and Texas Rangers, with assistance from the Drug Enforcement
Administration, the Hondo Police Department, Uvalde Police Department, and
Uvalde County Sheriff's Office.
U.S.
District Judge Alia Moses sentenced Victor Esquivel, 26, aka
"Youngster" of Eagle Pass,
Texas. According to court
documents, in July 2011, a federal jury found Esquivel guilty of several
racketeering influenced corrupt organization (RICO)-based charges including one
count of conspiracy to conduct the affairs of an enterprise through a pattern
of racketeering and two counts of violent crimes in aid of racketeering.
The
RICO offenses were committed in Uvalde, Eagle Pass
and Del Rio, Texas, and the surrounding area. Jose Damian
Garza was murdered in Hondo,
Texas, July 19, 2008.
Esquivel
is the 11th of 12 defendants convicted in this RICO conspiracy to be sentenced.
Before this April 12 sentencing, prison sentences handed down had ranged from
84 to 300 months. The remaining defendant, 23-year-old Javier "Javi"
Guerrero of Uvalde, Texas, is scheduled to be
sentenced later this year by U.S. District Judge Alia Moses in Del Rio.
All
12 defendants conspired to conduct the affairs of the Texas Mexican Mafia
through a pattern of racketeering activity, which included murder, solicitation
of murder, drug trafficking and extortion. The extortion took the form of
coercive collection of a 10 percent drug tax, also known as "the
dime," from drug distributors known to the members of the criminal
enterprise. This drug tax collection was enforced by robbery, serious bodily
injury or other acts of violence, including murder.
The
Texas Mexican Mafia was formed in the early 1980s by inmates in the Texas prison system.
Over the years, the gang has expanded its efforts to promote widespread
criminal activity through extortion, narcotics trafficking and violent crime.
Also known as "La Eme" or "Mexikanemi," the organization
has been the subject of numerous federal indictments in the Western District of
Texas since 1991. This investigation, however, is the first to directly target
the gang’s machinery operating along the southern international border with Mexico in the Texas
cities of Eagle Pass, Del
Rio, Crystal City, Carrizo Springs, Uvalde, Sabinal
and Hondo.
