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2024-03-29T02:06:24Z
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Moroccan-Dutch crime boss Ridouan Taghi gets life in prison
https://gangstersinc.org/blog/moroccan-dutch-crime-boss-ridouan-taghi-gets-life-in-prison
2024-02-27T16:24:33.000Z
2024-02-27T16:24:33.000Z
Gangsters Inc.
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<div><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/12390108871?profile=RESIZE_400x&width=400"></div><div><p>By <a href="http://www.gangstersinc.org" target="_blank">Gangsters Inc.</a> Editors</p>
<p>Moroccan-Dutch crime boss Ridouan Taghi was sentenced to life in prison today in a court in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. He was found guilty of six murders, four attempted murders, and several murder plots. Taghi is viewed by the DEA as one of Europe’s most powerful drug bosses, part of a European super cartel with the Italian and Irish Mafias.</p>
<p>The court judged that Taghi was the “undisputed leader” of a criminal organization. A man who used “extreme violence to scare people”. The court said that this “reign of terror” had the expected effect. “As retribution and for the safety of society, only life imprisonment suffices,” the court ruled.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Creating a super cartel with the Italian and Irish Mafia</strong></span></p>
<p>Taghi ran an extremely violent drug trafficking group in the Netherlands. He formed a pact with Camorra drug boss Raffaele Imperiale, Irish crime boss Daniel Kinahan, and several others to create, what authorities described as a, super cartel.</p>
<p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2CrGpJ68RRI?si=WtOzsduPedg35SEy" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p>
<p>Despite all the success on the business front, the violence caught up with Taghi. After ordering several gangland slayings – one more brazen than the next – Dutch police placed Taghi on its most wanted criminals list in March of 2018.</p>
<p>He fled to Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, and continued to run his organization via encrypted text messaging services, coordinating his drug trafficking routes and ordering more hits.</p>
<p>In December of 2019, authorities in Dubai arrested Taghi and he was put on a plane to the Netherlands. Though there have been rumors about him trying to organize a prison break, it looks like authorities are keeping a watchful eye on the convicted kingpin. He is locked up in the Netherlands’ most secure prison. His reign of terror seems to have come to an end.</p>
<p>Also read: <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/profile-of-moroccan-drug-boss-ridouan-taghi-he-who-talks-goes-and">Profile of Moroccan drug boss Ridouan Taghi - “He who talks, goes. And everyone around him goes to sleep”</a></p>
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St. Louis drug boss gets 15 years in prison for running fentanyl ring
https://gangstersinc.org/blog/st-louis-drug-boss-gets-15-years-in-prison-for-running-fentanyl-r
2023-08-04T06:48:01.000Z
2023-08-04T06:48:01.000Z
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<div><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/12176429859?profile=RESIZE_400x&width=315"></div><div><p>By <a href="http://www.gangstersinc.org" target="_blank">Gangsters Inc.</a> Editors</p>
<p>The leader of a large-scale, long-term St. Louis fentanyl trafficking ring was sentenced to 15 years in prison this week. 40-year-old Jamore Clark, of unincorporated St. Louis County, admitted in a guilty plea in January that he had been caught with over 800 grams of fentanyl on March 6, 2020 after fleeing law enforcement. He also admitted possessing firearms while involved in fentanyl dealing.</p>
<p>"The fentanyl Drug Enforcement Administration investigators seized the day Jamore Clark was arrested would have been the equivalent of nearly 45,000 lethal doses," said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Colin Dickey, lead of DEA investigations in Eastern Missouri. "DEA investigators know the seriousness of fentanyl’s impact on the safety and health of St. Louis citizens, which is driving drug-induced deaths to new highs. That makes this sentence particularly satisfying.”</p>
<p>Clark pleaded guilty in January to possession with intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl. All nine others indicted in the case have also pleaded guilty and received sentences of up to 10 years in prison. They include Jason Stanley Jones, 38, of Ballwin; Arie T. Graham, 34; Clarence Lee Totten, 33; Justin Lee Hughes, 36, of Florissant; Martez Lamar Murphy, 29, of Florissant; Keven Treyvon Huddlen, 30, of Florissant; Kevin Cunningham, 37, of St. Louis; Alaena C. Patrick, 37, of Flordell Hills; and Natalie J. Westerman, 46, of St. Peters, all of Missouri.</p>
<p>DEA investigated this case with the St. Louis County Police Department. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.</p>
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Guatemalan cartel boss goes to US prison for smuggling multi-ton shipments of cocaine
https://gangstersinc.org/blog/guatemalan-cartel-boss-goes-to-us-prison-for-smuggling-multi-ton
2023-02-03T08:54:27.000Z
2023-02-03T08:54:27.000Z
Gangsters Inc.
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<div><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/10953614274?profile=RESIZE_400x&width=400"></div><div><p>By <a href="http://www.gangstersinc.org" target="_blank">Gangsters Inc.</a> Editors</p>
<p>A high-level drug cartel boss from Guatemala was sentenced on January 27 to over 17 years in federal prison. 51-year-old William “Humilde” Estuardo Lemus-Lara was identified as the leader of a transcontinental criminal organization that moved multi-ton quantities of cocaine from South America via maritime smuggling routes to Guatemala and ultimately to associates in northwest Guatemala and Mexico, who in turn imported that cocaine into the United States.</p>
<p>Lemus-Lara was the head of the organization, and despite the best efforts of the United States to stymie his cocaine operation, he was a prolific trafficker. As the government described in its sentencing papers, a five-day snapshot of his operation gave unparalleled insight into Lemus-Lara’s cocaine trafficking prowess.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>All in a week’s work</strong></span></p>
<p>During a five-day span in May 2017, Lemus-Lara coordinated and oversaw a smuggling venture involving four cocaine-laden vessels. Through this investigation, three of those vessels were interdicted by the U.S. Coast Guard and the Guatemala FEN, which is Guatemala’s Naval Special Forces. The vessels had between 810-914 kilograms of cocaine each. A fourth boat made it through and delivered 814 kilograms of cocaine to Lemus-Lara and his organization.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>READ: </strong><a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/guatemala-extradites-its-top-drug-lord-to-us-marlon-monroy-was-el" target="_blank"><strong>Guatemala extradites its top drug lord to US – Marlon Monroy was El Chapo henchman and Sinaloa cartel affiliate</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<p>Lemus-Lara was targeted as part of a long-term joint investigation led by Homeland Security Investigations and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The investigation has led to the indictment and extradition of several high-level South and Central American drug traffickers, including several, like Lemus-Lara, from Guatemala.</p>
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Fort Worth crime boss hit with drug charges
https://gangstersinc.org/blog/fort-worth-crime-boss-hit-with-drug-charges
2023-01-26T12:50:14.000Z
2023-01-26T12:50:14.000Z
Gangsters Inc.
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<div><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/10949432666?profile=RESIZE_400x&width=400"></div><div><p>By <a href="http://www.gangstersinc.org" target="_blank">Gangsters Inc.</a> Editors</p>
<p>The boss of a Fort Worth drug trafficking operation and his associate have been hit with federal charges, DEA Special Agent in Charge Eduardo A. Chávez announced on Monday. 32-year-old Leeroy “Aladdin” Marquee Jones and 21-year-old Christopher Antwuan George were charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.</p>
<p>Jones was identified as the leader of a drug trafficking organization that dealt fentanyl, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and marijuana in Fort Worth’s “Stop Six” neighborhood. He was allegedly a multi-kilogram distributor.</p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size:14pt;">Dope, guns, and cash on the table, fugitive in handcuffs</span> </strong></p>
<p>On January 19, law enforcement executed search warrants at three stash houses allegedly run by Jones and seized 500 grams of suspected fentanyl, 400 grams of suspected methamphetamine, 16 firearms, and a large amount of cash.</p>
<p>During their arrest, Demarcus Taylor, a federal fugitive previously charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, was also arrested.</p>
<p>If convicted, they face up 10 years to life in federal prison.</p>
<p>“Seeking justice and a safe community is a team effort”, said DEA Fort Worth Special Agent in Charge, Eduardo A. Chávez. “Through our partnership with the Hood County Sheriff’s Office and the Fort Worth Police Department, guns and drugs, including thousands of potential deadly doses of fentanyl, are off our streets. Violent criminal drug networks poisoning our neighborhoods will be held accountable. You cannot hide.”</p>
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Colombian drug traffickers linked to FARC plead guilty to cocaine charges after DEA sting operation
https://gangstersinc.org/blog/colombian-drug-traffickers-linked-to-farc-plead-guilty-to-cocaine
2023-01-04T07:10:00.000Z
2023-01-04T07:10:00.000Z
Gangsters Inc.
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<div><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/10925734092?profile=RESIZE_400x&width=400"></div><div><p>By <a href="http://www.gangstersinc.org" target="_blank">Gangsters Inc.</a> Editors</p>
<p>Two Colombians pleaded guilty late last year to conspiring to distribute large quantities of cocaine for importation into the United States. The pair were caught up in a DEA sting operation aimed at drug traffickers linked to the terrorist group known as the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).</p>
<p>In 2018, DEA agents began investigating large-scale <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/drug-cartels" target="_blank">drug traffickers</a> with ties to the FARC. During a long-term investigation, Mazabel-Soto represented himself as someone authorized to enter into large cocaine production agreements on behalf of the FARC and portrayed Molina-Cutiva as being responsible for FARC drug trafficking logistics in southwestern Colombia.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Cocaine labs</strong></span></p>
<p>Additionally, they represented that Molina-Cutiva was responsible for all FARC cocaine laboratories in Huila and Caqueta, Colombia as well as transferring cocaine across the border with Ecuador for exportation north by way of the Pacific Ocean.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>READ: </strong><a href="https://gangstersinc.org/blog/befriending-a-capo-in-the-medellin-cartel-how-an-undercover-unit" target="_blank"><strong>Befriending a capo in the Medellin Cartel: How an undercover unit infiltrated the global drug trade</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<p>During a series of recorded meetings, Mazabel-Soto and Molina-Cutiva offered to produce large quantities of cocaine for an individual they believed was representing a major Mexican drug cartel. In one particular meeting, they proposed a business agreement wherein the <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/drug-cartels" target="_blank">Mexican cartel</a> would invest $2 million in their business and the FARC would construct a cocaine laboratory for the cartel, where they would have exclusive rights to the production.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Detroit Tigers Major League Baseball team</strong></span></p>
<p>They stated that the first 1,000 kilograms produced would be free and the FARC would then produce an additional 1,000 kilograms of cocaine for the cartel every few weeks, at a cost of $1,600 per kilogram. They agreed to place designer stamps on each kilogram of cocaine, including the logo for the Detroit Tigers Major League Baseball team.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>READ: </strong><a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/escobar-versus-cali-the-war-of-the-cartels" target="_blank"><strong>Escobar versus Cali: The War of the Cartels</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<p>In April 2019, in Bogota, Colombia, Mazabel-Soto provided another individual with a five-kilogram “sample” of cocaine to demonstrate the quality. Mazabel-Soto accepted $11,000 for this sample delivery. DEA lab results show that the cocaine was 96% pure.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Extradition and plea deals</strong></span></p>
<p>On June 25, 2019, Mazabel-Soto was arrested in Colombia and, on April 16, 2021, was extradited to the United States; Cutiva was arrested in Colombia on August 8, 2019 and, on January 25, 2021, was extradited to the United States. Authorities also arrested Aldemar Soto-Charry in Colombia on August 8, 2019, his extradition is pending.</p>
<p>45-year-old Mauricio Mazabel-Soto entered his plea on December 20, 2022, while 53-year-old Alfredo Molina-Cutiva entered his plea on November 28, 2022. Each defendant faces a statutory maximum sentence of 40 years in prison. Molina-Cutiva’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 31, 2023, and Mazabel-Soto’s for April 23, 2023.</p>
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Mexican cartels bringing drug expertise to Europe, new report finds
https://gangstersinc.org/blog/mexican-cartels-bringing-drug-expertise-to-europe-new-report-find
2022-12-21T17:05:10.000Z
2022-12-21T17:05:10.000Z
Gangsters Inc.
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<div><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/10916676076?profile=RESIZE_400x&width=400"></div><div><p>By <a href="http://www.gangstersinc.org" target="_blank">Gangsters Inc.</a> Editors</p>
<p>Europol and the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) issued a <a href="https://www.europol.europa.eu/publications-events/publications/complexities-and-conveniences-in-international-drug-trade-involvement-of-mexican-criminal-actors-in-eu-drug-market" target="_blank">joint analysis report</a> on December 14 shedding light on the involvement of Mexican criminal actors in the European drug market. The report shows that Mexican cartels and Europe-based criminal networks have been working together to traffic both methamphetamine and cocaine from Latin America to the European Union.</p>
<p>This new form of criminal collaboration also extends to the production of methamphetamine and cocaine hydrochloride in some EU Member States. Despite no current indications of a fentanyl market in the EU, the discovery of fentanyl production facilities and seizures of the substance in the EU raises concerns over the development of a fentanyl market.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>First publication of this kind</strong></span></p>
<p>As the <a href="https://www.europol.europa.eu/publications-events/publications/complexities-and-conveniences-in-international-drug-trade-involvement-of-mexican-criminal-actors-in-eu-drug-market" target="_blank">first joint publication of this kind</a>, the report emphasizes the hand-in-glove approach between the agencies in the common fight against global drug trafficking. Titled 'Complexities and conveniences in the international drug trade: the involvement of Mexican criminal actors in the EU drug market', the publication is a result of systematic and continuous exchange of operational and strategic information. The EU’s most recent <a href="https://www.europol.europa.eu/publications-events/main-reports/socta-report" target="_blank">Serious and Organized Crime Threat Assessment</a> showed that criminal networks across the EU are increasingly international and specialized in scope, with 65 % of criminal groups active in the EU composed of members of multiple nationalities. The presence of Mexican criminal actors collaborating with EU-based actors in the EU drug market follows this trend.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Cartel cooks in service of EU-based criminal networks</strong></span></p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.europol.europa.eu/publications-events/publications/complexities-and-conveniences-in-international-drug-trade-involvement-of-mexican-criminal-actors-in-eu-drug-market" target="_blank">joint report</a> delves into how the involved criminal networks cooperate with one another, particularly through the use of specialised actors at different points in their operations. The different actors include facilitators such as brokers, laboratory specialists, envoys, intermediaries and money laundering service providers. Law enforcement have arrested Mexican laboratory specialists – also known as 'cooks' – working in EU-based production sites. These actors are especially important due to their unique knowledge of how to produce higher yields of more potent end product, and obtain larger and more profitable crystals of methamphetamine. </p>
<p>The report also states that Mexican cartels are known to cooperate with EU-based criminal networks to traffic both methamphetamine and cocaine to EU ports for further distribution with the EU or transit to even more lucrative markets of Asia and Oceania. The use of concealed shipments – such as cocaine hidden in blocks of cellular thermal concrete – or the plans to establish cocaine smuggling routes from Colombia to airports in southern Italy using private jets show the ever-evolving nature of these criminal activities. Corrupt officials in the public and private sectors act as facilitators and help to increase the likelihood of successfully trafficking drug consignments to the EU.</p>
<p>On US soil, Mexican cartels have a history of establishing drug trafficking hubs and strong criminal partnerships, and of using violence to gain control over the territory where they operate. An increased presence of Mexican cartels in the EU could also result in increased profits for them and their EU-based criminal collaborators, as well as an increase in violence in the EU. The DEA and Europol will continue to act in concert in monitoring and fighting these developments.</p>
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Lifestyles of the rich and criminal ended by Spanish authorities as they seize drugs, luxury cars, properties
https://gangstersinc.org/blog/lifestyles-of-the-rich-and-criminal-ended-by-spanish-authorities
2022-11-18T12:19:31.000Z
2022-11-18T12:19:31.000Z
Gangsters Inc.
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<div><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/10886684085?profile=RESIZE_400x&width=400"></div><div><p>By <a href="http://www.gangstersinc.org" target="_blank">Gangsters Inc.</a> Editors</p>
<p>Spanish authorities arrested 10 individuals suspected of being involved in drug trafficking and money laundering, Europol reported on Tuesday. Spain’s Guardia Civil carried out house searches in a number of cities, which led to the disruption of a criminal network providing financial and technical support to other criminal groups in Europe.</p>
<p>The DEA, Europol, and several countries were involved in bringing down this organization. The first phase of the action took place less than a year ago in Barcelona and was decisive in obtaining conclusive evidence against this criminal organization.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>READ: </strong><a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/los-castanas-two-brothers-and-spain-s-most-notorious-drug-cartel" target="_blank"><strong>Los Castañas: Two brothers and Spain’s most notorious drug cartel</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<p>Following an analysis of devices and documentation seized on the first action day, investigators were able to link 10 people with bringing 117 tons of hashish and over 3 tons of cocaine into Spain. During the second phase of the action, this week, the Guardia Civil raided venues in Barcelona, Ceuta, Almería and Malaga, where the suspects of Spanish, German and Moroccan nationality were apprehended.</p>
<p>Among them is the main suspect’s lawyer, who specializes in cases related to drug trafficking.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Tons of hashish, cocaine and over €1 million in cash</strong></span></p>
<p>In total, Spanish authorities arrested 27 suspects in the two-phase action, who were relying on assets such as 39 phones, a satellite phone, 8 computers, 3 microphone scanners as well as a cash counting machine to conduct their criminal activities. The most tangible of the items seized include 14 tons of hashish, 5.1 tons of cocaine and over €1 million euros in cash, which are now in the hands of law enforcement.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>READ: </strong><a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/profile-of-spanish-drug-boss-sito-minanco-who-can-t-stop-smugglin" target="_blank"><strong>Profile: Spanish drug boss Sito Miñanco, who can’t stop smuggling tons of cocaine despite his fame</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<p>The organized crime group clandestinely imported boats and powerful engines from the Netherlands, made them ready on a ship off the coast of Portugal, and then used them to collect and transfer the drugs from Morocco to Spain. Three vessels were subsequently seized, adding to the impressive list of confiscated valuables. These include 11 real estate properties, 5 companies, 36 luxury cars, the contents of 58 bank accounts and 12 luxury watches.</p>
<p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Fyf4-mCbyNI" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Corporate business structure for money laundering</strong></span></p>
<p>Europol’s European Financial and Economic Crime Centre was decisive in uncovering a variety of methods used to transfer and launder the proceeds generated by drug trafficking. These include the clandestine transport of large amounts of cash, the use of the hawala system to transfer money, and investments in luxury goods such as yachts, luxury watches, luxury vehicles or real estate property and renovations. The criminal network further invested in companies located in several European countries, and used loans and mortgages to businesses to launder illicit funds.</p>
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California drug boss who bribed DEA Special Agent sentenced to over 11 years in federal prison
https://gangstersinc.org/blog/california-drug-boss-who-bribed-dea-special-agent-sentenced-to-ov
2022-08-22T14:03:34.000Z
2022-08-22T14:03:34.000Z
Gangsters Inc.
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<div><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/10781035301?profile=RESIZE_400x&width=400"></div><div><p>By <a href="http://www.gangstersinc.org" target="_blank">Gangsters Inc.</a> Editors</p>
<p>A California drug boss who bribed a DEA agent was sentenced to over 11 years in prison last week. 37-year-old Francisco Gonzalez Benitez had pleaded guilty on April 15, 2021, to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances (including kilogram quantities of cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, marijuana, and methamphetamine), distribution of meth, and conspiracy to engage in money laundering.</p>
<p>Known by the nickname “Paco,” Gonzalez Benitez operated a multi-state drug trafficking organization. He and his crew shipped drugs from Southern California to Jacksonville and other locations hidden in U.S. Mail parcels and vehicles being transported on car haulers.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>READ: </strong><a href="https://gangstersinc.org/blog/did-you-make-this-worth-it-crooked-dea-supervisory-agent-bribed-b" target="_blank"><strong>“Did you make this worth it?” – Crooked DEA agent bribed by drug kingpin gets 11 years in prison</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<p>Investigators ultimately identified more than 100 parcels that had been shipped to Jacksonville as part of the conspiracy. The proceeds from this drug business were funneled through various bank accounts in a manner designed to both distribute funds among co-conspirators and conceal the nature and source of those funds.</p>
<p>A financial investigator analyzed the conspirators’ banking activity and estimated that individuals and entities in the Jacksonville-portion of the operation made approximately $416,144 in cash deposits and other transfers into the accounts of individuals and entities in the California-portion of the business.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>DEA agent provided “top cover protection”</strong></span></p>
<p>When confronted by FBI Special Agents about these activities, Gonzalez admitted his role in shipping drugs from California to Jacksonville, but also confirmed that he was a source of supply of controlled substances in Little Rock, Arkansas.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>READ: </strong><a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/the-real-dea-agents-of-narcos-javier-pena-and-steve-murphy-talk-a"><strong>The Real DEA Agents of Narcos Talk Fact & Fiction</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<p>In addition, he disclosed that, beginning in 2014, he had worked in Jacksonville as a confidential informant with <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/blog/did-you-make-this-worth-it-crooked-dea-supervisory-agent-bribed-b" target="_blank">DEA Special Agent Nathan Koen</a>, but throughout 2016 and 2017, Gonzalez Benitez made several cash payments to that federal agent. Gonzalez Benitez continued to pay Koen after Koen was promoted and transferred to Little Rock.</p>
<p>The periodic payments, as large as $9,000 per transaction, were made for what Gonzalez Benitez called “top cover protection” for his drug operation. This protection included Koen advising Gonzalez Benitez when not to use the mail to ship controlled substances, when to change his phone number, and when he and his potential customers were under investigation by law enforcement.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Doing the time for the crime</strong></span></p>
<p>Koen was subsequently prosecuted and he pleaded guilty on August 18, 2021, to receiving a bribe as a public official. He was sentenced on May 11, 2022, to 11 years and 3 months in federal prison.</p>
<p>On July 16, 2019, Gonzalez Benitez’s brother, 25-year-old Jose Manuel Gonzalez, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances (including cocaine, heroin, marijuana, and methamphetamine) and conspiracy to engage in money laundering. On May 23, 2022, he was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Back to the <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/organized-crime-in">Organized Crime in North America section</a> on Gangsters Inc.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Check out the latest news on organized crime and the Mafia at our <a href="https://gangstersinc.ning.com/blog/list/tag/news">news section</a></strong></li>
<li><strong>Check out our <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/blog/gangsters-inc-on-social-media">social media channels</a></strong></li>
<li><strong><a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/about-gangsters-inc">About Gangsters Inc.</a></strong></li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Copyright © Gangsters Inc.</strong></p></div>
Cali heroin trafficker who flooded New York City with dope extradited from Colombia to face charges
https://gangstersinc.org/blog/cali-heroin-trafficker-who-flooded-new-york-city-with-dope-extrad
2022-07-19T15:24:08.000Z
2022-07-19T15:24:08.000Z
Gangsters Inc.
https://gangstersinc.org/members/GangstersInc
<div><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/10656480071?profile=RESIZE_400x&width=400"></div><div><p>By <a href="http://www.gangstersinc.org" target="_blank">Gangsters Inc.</a> Editors</p>
<p>A Colombian accused of trafficking multi-kilogram shipments of heroin into New York City and of coordinating an international money laundering scheme was extradited from Colombia to face charges. Junior Escobar Miranda (photo above) arrived in New York from Colombia last week and was scheduled for arraignment yesterday.</p>
<p>Escobar Miranda was, prosecutors allege, a hands-on kind of boss. He was based in Cali, Colombia, and ran his organization from there. He maintained direct oversight of nearly all aspects of his lucrative drug trafficking business. </p>
<ul>
<li><strong>READ: </strong><a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/elusive-colombian-drug-lord-memo-fantasma-arrested-mysterious-kin"><strong>Elusive Colombian drug lord “Memo Fantasma” – Mysterious kingpin started under Pablo Escobar</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<p>His operation was simple, but very profitable. He used human couriers, known as “drug mules,” to bring the heroin into the U.S. concealed inside suitcases. Once the narcotics successfully arrived in the U.S., he allegedly coordinated the delivery of the heroin to New York City-based associates who would then sell the heroin to customers on Escobar Miranda’s behalf.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>BlackBerry Messenger</strong></span></p>
<p>The group used BlackBerry Messenger to communicate. Those communications revealed that Escobar Miranda instructed his New York City-based associates regarding the price at which kilograms were to be sold and coordinated the collection of the proceeds from those transactions.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>READ: </strong><a href="https://gangstersinc.org/blog/cali-cartel-boss-gilberto-rodriguez-orejuela-dies-in-u-s-prison"><strong>Cali Cartel boss Gilberto Rodríguez Orejuela dies in U.S. prison</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<p>He then worked with a Chinese national to launder the bulk of those proceeds while also transferring a portion of the cash to multiple bank accounts in Colombia.</p>
<p>This hands-on approach, in which he controlled almost all aspects of the smuggling, selling and laundering of sizeable drugs proceeds, ultimately led to his downfall. Colombian authorities intercepted his communications and contacted the DEA about their find.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>“He’s going to pick up the suitcase”</strong></span></p>
<p>In a communication that illustrates his close control of his dope business, Escobar Miranda allegedly provided detailed instructions related to the receipt of a suitcase containing narcotics in a text message on August 5, 2017. “He’s going to pick up the suitcase. You are going to be with him at all times until he pays for everything…they want to take it and test it all out,” Escobar Miranda allegedly said.</p>
<p>Escobar Miranda subsequently provided directions to an individual in Queens, New York, related to the transfer of narcotics proceeds to multiple accounts in Colombia. On August 9, 2017 he allegedly wrote, “And please send those via regular money order, please don’t send them through the bank.”</p>
<p>In the last charged shipment in October of 2017, Escobar Miranda allegedly coordinated the delivery of eight kilograms of heroin to an individual in New York City, writing, “It’s all there. There are 8 in total.”</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>READ: </strong><a href="https://gangstersinc.org/blog/there-is-no-hiding-place-for-such-a-man-profile-of-mexican-drug-l"><strong>“There is no hiding place for such a man” - Profile of Mexican drug lord Rafael Caro Quintero</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<p>Conversations between Escobar Miranda and his associates referenced at least two shipments of a total of approximately 10 kilograms of heroin to New York City between May and October of 2017. Two of those kilograms were seized by law enforcement in Queens in October 2017 and over $100,000 in cash related to a previous sale were recovered in August 2017, also in Queens. In all, the estimated value of the narcotics that Escobar Miranda smuggled into New York City during a six-month period was greater than $500,000.</p>
<p>Escobar Miranda’s illegal activities coincided with a surge in the heroin supply in New York City and a sharp escalation in overdose deaths. In contrast to other narcotics suppliers based in Colombia and elsewhere, who partner with <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/drug-cartels" target="_blank">Mexican cartels</a> and other intermediaries to smuggle drugs in the United States, Escobar Miranda personally managed his business from beginning to end. This approach afforded him greater control over profits while reducing his dependency on other criminal organizations.</p>
<p>It also made him extremely vulnerable. Now, he will face justice in the United States.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Back to the <a href="https://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/drug-cartels">Drug Cartels section</a> on Gangsters Inc.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Check out the latest news on organized crime and the Mafia at our <a href="https://gangstersinc.ning.com/blog/list/tag/news">news section</a></strong></li>
<li><strong>Check out our <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/blog/gangsters-inc-on-social-media">social media channels</a></strong></li>
<li><strong><a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/about-gangsters-inc">About Gangsters Inc.</a></strong></li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Copyright © Gangsters Inc.</strong></p></div>
“Did you make this worth it?” – Crooked DEA agent bribed by drug kingpin gets 11 years in prison
https://gangstersinc.org/blog/did-you-make-this-worth-it-crooked-dea-supervisory-agent-bribed-b
2022-05-14T06:32:48.000Z
2022-05-14T06:32:48.000Z
Gangsters Inc.
https://gangstersinc.org/members/GangstersInc
<div><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/10485901063?profile=RESIZE_400x&width=400"></div><div><p>By <a href="http://www.gangstersinc.org" target="_blank">Gangsters Inc.</a> Editors</p>
<p>As crooked as they come. A Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent was sentenced to over 11 years in prison on Wednesday for accepting bribes from a drug kingpin. 45-year-old Nathan Koen (photo above) had been charged with drug possession and distribution charges as well, but pleaded guilty to the bribery charge in exchange for dismissal of those.</p>
<p>Koen accepted bribes from a known, large-scale drug boss, known as “Paco,” for the purpose of helping facilitate a drug conspiracy, which involved at least 15 to 45 kilograms of methamphetamine. The drug trafficker and his brother, known as “Stewie,” testified during the hearing and explained that he believed Koen provided was providing sensitive, law enforcement information, which helped him avoid detection by authorities and run his drug organization.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>READ: </strong><a href="https://gangstersinc.org/blog/homicide-at-rough-point-the-billionairess-and-the-mobbed-up-polic" target="_blank"><strong>Homicide at Rough Point: The billionairess and the mobbed up police chief</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<p>The drug boss, who is in federal custody, stated that his organization was responsible for distributing kilogram quantities of methamphetamine cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, and marijuana.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Jailhouse talk</strong></span></p>
<p>In 2018, the FBI began investigating Koen, who had been working for the DEA since 2002 and had transferred in 2016 to work as a Group Supervisor in the Little Rock DEA office from Jacksonville, Florida. FBI agents interviewed drug kingpin Paco who told law enforcement he had paid Koen cash for information and protection related to his <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/drug-cartels" target="_blank">drug trafficking</a> activities.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>READ: </strong><a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/the-real-dea-agents-of-narcos-javier-pena-and-steve-murphy-talk-a" target="_blank"><strong>The Real DEA Agents of Narcos Talk Fact & Fiction</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<p>Paco told FBI agents he had been in custody on federal drug charges in 2013-2014 when another inmate told him he should contact Koen and offer to work as an informant, which he did. After his case was resolved, the informant resumed distributing large amounts of heroin, methamphetamine, marijuana, and cocaine in Florida, California, Arkansas, and elsewhere, while making payments to Koen for protection. The informant paid approximately $31,500 to Koen before he began cooperating with the FBI.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>FBI stings the DEA</strong></span></p>
<p><a href="http://www.gangstersinc.org" target="_blank"><img class="align-right" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10485901676,RESIZE_400x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10485901676?profile=RESIZE_400x" width="300" /></a>He agreed with the FBI to set up a controlled delivery of a bribe payment to Koen. Koen and the drug trafficker agreed to meet in Las Vegas on December 3, 2018. FBI agents equipped him with $9,000 cash and multiple audio recording devices.</p>
<p>The two men met on the sidewalk across from the Bellagio hotel and walked together to the Paris Las Vegas hotel, where they went inside a bathroom away from casino cameras. Once inside, the drug boss placed the cash in Koen’s backpack, and they left the hotel, each going in different directions.</p>
<p>Recordings of the encounter revealed that Koen asked him, “Did you make this worth it?” The drug trafficker responded: “Come on, man, you know I always make it worth it for you.” Koen responded: “I know.”</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>READ: </strong><a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/nypd-cop-who-moonlighted-as-bodyguard-for-el-chapo-s-wife-had-sid" target="_blank"><strong>NYPD cop, who moonlighted as bodyguard for El Chapo’s wife, had side gig trafficking cocaine</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<p>Koen also advised the informant that he should get rid of all his phones and change his address because he expected a search warrant to be executed at his home soon. Koen was arrested when he returned to Arkansas later that day, and he admitted to accepting bribes from the informant.</p>
<p>“By protecting a drug trafficking organization and accepting bribes from a drug kingpin, former Group Supervisor Nathan Koen deceived and betrayed his brothers and sisters in the DEA,” FBI Little Rock Special Agent in Charge James A. Dawson said. “His disgraceful and corrupt conduct only strengthens our resolve to continue attacking corruption at all levels.”</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Back to the <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/organized-crime-in">Organized Crime in North America section</a> on Gangsters Inc.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Check out the latest news on organized crime and the Mafia at our <a href="https://gangstersinc.ning.com/blog/list/tag/news">news section</a></strong></li>
<li><strong>Check out our <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/blog/gangsters-inc-on-social-media">social media channels</a></strong></li>
<li><strong><a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/about-gangsters-inc">About Gangsters Inc.</a></strong></li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Copyright © Gangsters Inc.</strong></p></div>
Boss of Evil: Colombian Drug Kingpin Pablo Escobar's Legacy Endures
https://gangstersinc.org/blog/boss-of-evil-colombian-drug-kingpin-pablo-escobar-s-legacy-endure
2022-04-29T06:35:11.000Z
2022-04-29T06:35:11.000Z
Gangsters Inc.
https://gangstersinc.org/members/GangstersInc
<div><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/10447396096?profile=RESIZE_400x&width=400"></div><div><p>By Clarence Walker for <a href="http://www.gangstersinc.org" target="_blank">Gangsters Inc.</a> </p>
<p>Pablo Escobar was the world's notorious drug lord. Once glorified as Robin Hood by many who loved him and vilified by the law as a mass murderer and drug dealer, Escobar defined an era like no other gangster on the planet. He ran the cocaine trade in Bogota, Colombia, like a "Fortune 500" company, raking in "millions of dollars" annually.</p>
<p>Escobar supplied most of the cocaine shipped into America. The Colombian government and the U.S. government feared this ruthless drug lord who masterminded a campaign of kidnappings and bombings in Colombia's capital and throughout the country. During the 1980s and 1990s, Escobar and his <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/drug-cartels" target="_blank">cartel</a> turned Medellin into a catalyst for violence; the most conservative estimate indicates that Escobar is responsible for thousands of deaths.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>READ: </strong><a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/popeye-pablo-escobar-s-chief-sicario-dies-of-cancer-at-57" target="_blank"><strong>“Popeye”, Pablo Escobar’s chief sicario, dies of cancer at 57</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<p>"He was one of the world's wealthiest men, but he was a vicious terrorist and murderer," retired DEA (U.S. Drug Enforcement Agent) Joe Toft, told this writer in an email. Despite labeled as a mass murderer and drug trafficker, this kingpin possessed a seductive and generous spirit.</p>
<p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IiBglYxVgZU" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p>
<p>"Escobar was an incredibly fascinating persona," Toft recalls.</p>
<p>Nearly 19 years have passed since Pablo Escobar was gunned down on a rooftop in the city of Medellin on December 2, 1993. And just like a classic Shakespearean story that never dies---Colombia is once again buzzing about the king narco-killer.</p>
<p>Millions of Colombians, since May 28, 2012, have tuned in nightly on the Caracol Network to watch "Escobar: Boss of Evil."</p>
<p>Caracol represents Colombia's largest television network that's been airing the "Boss of Evil" as a 63-episode drama series about the life and founder of the Medellin drug cartel.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>READ: <a href="https://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/elusive-colombian-drug-lord-memo-fantasma-arrested-mysterious-kin" target="_blank">Elusive Colombian drug lord “Memo Fantasma” arrested</a> – Mysterious kingpin started under Pablo Escobar</strong></li>
</ul>
<p>"This is an important program for the new generations who do not know much about Escobar," producer Juana Uribe recently stated. But critics say the drama series has raised fears that a younger generation may be inspired to follow in Escobar's footsteps, idolizing his drug dealing and murderous ways.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.gangstersinc.org" target="_blank"><img class="align-right" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10447395084,RESIZE_400x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="330" alt="10447395084?profile=RESIZE_400x" /></a>Joe Toft (photo right), a retired DEA agent who served as the Special-Agent-in Charge of the DEA office in Colombia, coordinated the "kill or capture mission" of Escobar, responds to the public's fascination with the deceased drug lord.</p>
<p>"Pablo Escobar became a role model for many young people in Colombia because of his money, his defiance of the government, and his Robin Hood image."</p>
<p>But, Toft explains, "they should remember how Escobar died. He was hunted down like an animal."</p>
<p>DEA agents Javier Pena and Steve Murphy worked on the ground in Colombia to help Colombian Special Forces and the Los Pepes organization to locate and kill Escobar. Los Pepes was a vigilante group who were stone-cold enemies of Pablo Escobar. The Pepes waged a short-lived war against Escobar's Medellin Drug Cartel in the early 1990s'. So it appeared the Pepes readied themselves for a showdown to settle the score with the notorious kingpin.</p>
<p>As customary for Escobar, he paid off killers to shed human blood. The DEA's relentless hunt for the notorious drug kingpin forced Escobar to issue two separate $300,000 bounties on the heads of agents Javier Pena and Steve Murphy.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Controlling The Dope</strong></span></p>
<p>During the 19th century, Western commercial enterprises-controlled coca and cocaine. But Escobar made cocaine a patriotic business in Colombia. Forbes Magazine, in 1989, profiled Escobar as one of the world's billionaires, worth over $3 billion. He loved to share his wealth. Escobar was a brilliant criminal, spending millions of dollars on parks, schools, stadiums, churches, and even housing for the poorest of Medellin residents. In return, people loved him for his generosity. They saw him as a poor young man giving back to his community. Yet masked behind the Robin Hood personality, Escobar executed urban terrorism upon government officials, politicians, and law enforcement officers---anyone who crossed him or those he felt needed killing.</p>
<p>Escobar's famous quotes are:</p>
<p>(1) I prefer to be in a grave in Colombia than in a jail cell in the United States</p>
<p>(2) Everyone has a price; the important thing is to find out what it is.</p>
<p>(3) Sometimes I am God; if I say a man dies, he dies that same day.</p>
<p>Escobar's legacy is so powerfully profound until his gravesite is a popular tourist attraction in Colombia. Thousands and thousands flock to the site to pay their respects.</p>
<p>With over 1,300 people included in the "Boss of Evil," the series is filmed in more than 450 locations. Interestingly, the series was produced by relatives of two of the most high-profile victims killed by Escobar: Their names are Luis Carlos Galvan, a presidential candidate who campaigned as a hard-driven moral crusader against Pablo's drug operation, and Guillermo Cano, the publisher of the daily El Spectator newspaper. Producer Juana Uribe is the niece of Galan, and the second producer, Camilo Cano, is the son of Gano, the publisher.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Audience Viewing</strong></span></p>
<p>The series' initial episode was reportedly inspired by the 2001 book "The Parable of Pablo", a book that attracted over 11 million viewers. Boss of Evil traces Escobar's life, from a timid young man growing up near the Northwest city of Medellin up to the infamous drug lord who amassed unrivaled wealth and influence before his violent end at the hands of U.S. DEA agents, Los Pepes, and other military forces. As the series plays out in foreign markets, viewership steadily increases.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>READ: <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/the-real-dea-agents-of-narcos-javier-pena-and-steve-murphy-talk-a" target="_blank">The Real DEA Agents of Narcos</a>: Javier Peña & Steve Murphy talk about what’s fact and fiction in Netflix’s hit series</strong></li>
</ul>
<p>Further, to capitalize on the notoriety, U.S. based Spanish language television channel Telemundo will start airing the series across America in late July or August, showcasing Escobar's infamous fame and how his legacy still makes him a billionaire both in life and death.</p>
<p>In an interview with Bogota reporters, Juana Uribe, said, "We all can remember a bomb set off by Escobar or experienced an attack either directly or indirectly. "What's important is to see the entire picture, how one thing led to another in his life." Uribe further says the series was filmed primarily on locations in Bogota, Medellin, and Miami, Florida, costing approximately $170.000.00 per episode.</p>
<p>"The series aims to show Escobar from all sides" and shed light on those who had the courage to confront him."</p>
<p>Sebastian Marroquin, the son of Escobar, who changed his name to cut ties with his father's legacy, told a prominent Spanish Internet portal that the drama series about his father sends the wrong message to young people. "They are saying it is glamorous to be a drug dealer, which is a danger to new generations." Producers are hoping to capture the historical accuracy of the story.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>DEA Celebrates Escobar's Death</strong></span></p>
<p><a href="http://www.gangstersinc.org" target="_blank"><img class="align-right" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10447396482,RESIZE_400x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="208" alt="10447396482?profile=RESIZE_400x" /></a>When Pablo Escobar was finally cornered on a rooftop and killed, DEA Joe Toft recently told this writer: "I spent nearly six years chasing after him, with many close calls and frustration."</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>WATCH: </strong><a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/watch-former-sas-commando-was-hired-by-cali-cartel-to-assassinate" target="_blank"><strong>Former SAS commando was hired by Cali Cartel to assassinate Pablo Escobar</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<p>Toft continued with the recap of Escobar's death.</p>
<p> "When Escobar was killed, I was ecstatic because now I knew I could go back to the United States, feeling we achieved a major objective."</p>
<p>"However, Toft recalls, as I celebrated with the cops, shortly after Escobar's death--I had a knot in my stomach," Toft explains his uneasiness. "Because I knew the <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/the-cali-cartel-the-takedown-of-history-s-biggest-drug-mafia" target="_blank">Cali Cartel</a> played a major role in bringing down Escobar and the Medellin cartel. And in the process, the Cali Cartel further corrupted the Colombian police and made significant inroads into the Colombian government.</p>
<p>"It was a victory for law enforcement and a huge victory for the Cali Cartel."</p>
<p>Referring to the "Boss of Evil" TV series based on Escobar's life, Media Studies Professor Alberto Martinez stated to France24 International News, "I don't think the stated objective is being met. Instead, "kids see much more of Robin Hood than the criminal."</p>
<p>For the younger generation who fancied the wealth and power of Escobar's drug empire and if thinking about following in Escobar's footsteps, former DEA Joe Toft provides fatherly advice. "They should remember thousands of innocent people Escobar killed with his bombs in the streets and other terrorist acts. And I would remind them of the misery and death that his drugs brought to the people that used them."</p>
<p>Toft philosophically sums up the controversy surrounding the TV show. "Life is about making choices between good and bad. Choosing Pablo Escobar as a role model is a horrible choice."</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration:underline;"><em>Journalist Note: This article originally was published on July 27, 2012</em></span></p>
<p><strong>Update</strong>: Since the release of "Boss of Evil" there have been several other films inspired by the life of Pablo Escobar or films based directly on Pablo's life and his drug empire. </p>
<p>Here's a list of films made about the fascinating life of drug kingpin Pablo Escobar since the release of Boss of Evil:</p>
<p>Netflix's Narcos, Blow, Paradise Lost, Infiltrator, Loving Pablo, "Pablo Escobar , le Patron du Mal", Pablo Escobar: Countdown to Death.</p>
<p>Any comments? Reach USA Criminal Justice/Drug Trafficking Crime Journalist Clarence Walker at <a href="mailto:newsjournalist360@gmail.com">newsjournalist360@gmail.com</a></p>
<p> </p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Back to the <a href="https://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/drug-cartels">Drug Cartels section</a> on Gangsters Inc.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Check out the latest news on organized crime and the Mafia at our <a href="https://gangstersinc.ning.com/blog/list/tag/news">news section</a></strong></li>
<li><strong>Check out our <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/blog/gangsters-inc-on-social-media">social media channels</a></strong></li>
<li><strong><a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/about-gangsters-inc">About Gangsters Inc.</a></strong></li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Copyright © Gangsters Inc.</strong></p></div>
Yakuza boss busted by DEA trying to buy surface-to-air missiles, plotting to flood New York with meth and heroin
https://gangstersinc.org/blog/yakuza-boss-busted-by-dea-trying-to-buy-surface-to-air-missiles-p
2022-04-08T13:08:33.000Z
2022-04-08T13:08:33.000Z
Gangsters Inc.
https://gangstersinc.org/members/GangstersInc
<div><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/10293714698?profile=RESIZE_400x&width=400"></div><div><p>By David Amoruso for <a href="http://www.gangstersinc.org" target="_blank">Gangsters Inc.</a></p>
<p>An alleged Yakuza boss was arrested by U.S. authorities on Monday after he was caught up in a sting operation by the DEA. 57-year-old Takeshi Ebisawa (photo above) plotted to ship heroin and meth into New York and wanted to acquire surface-to-air missiles for associates in war-torn regions like Myanmar.</p>
<p>Prosecutors called Ebisawa the leader of an international smuggling network led by the <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/yakuza-overview" target="_blank">Yakuza</a>, Japan’s homegrown Mafia, and a “big player” in arms and drug trafficking.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Undercover trips to Japan</strong></span></p>
<p>He came under DEA surveillance in 2019. Undercover agents were sent to Japan and Thailand for meetings with the alleged Yakuza boss and his associates. In these meetings, the undercover DEA agents enticed the Yakuza with stories about serious weaponry – such as surface-to-air missiles - stolen from American bases in Afghanistan.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>WATCH: </strong><a href="https://gangstersinc.org/video/30-years-with-the-yakuza-bad-blood" target="_blank"><strong>30 Years With the Yakuza</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<p>Would Ebisawa be interested in such weapons? He allegedly was and even had a buyer lined up. Shan State Army and Karen National Union, two militias in war-torn Myanmar, offered to pay for the American-made arms with narcotics – 500 kilograms of meth and 500 kilograms of heroin.</p>
<p>The shipment was destined for New York where it would be distributed.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Global reach</strong></span></p>
<p>Ebisawa and several others were arrested on Monday and Tuesday. They were hit with drug charges and conspiracy to acquire, transfer and possess surface-to-air missiles. Ebisawa faces an additional charge of money laundering.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>WATCH: </strong><a href="https://gangstersinc.org/blog/a-new-york-mafia-capo-a-member-of-the-yakuza-a-mob-soldier-ex-con" target="_blank"><strong>A New York Mafia capo, a member of the Yakuza, a mob soldier, ex-convicts & an Irish gangster rate crime movies</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<p>Organized crime is an international octopus, but the DEA is too. Its agents operate globally and have bagged several international kingpins who thought they operated above the law and on safe ground. If you are a big player, chances are there is a target on your back. Somewhere some folks have placed your name on a list and they are eager to build their careers on it. </p>
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<li><strong>Back to the <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/yakuza-overview">Yakuza section</a> on Gangsters Inc.</strong></li>
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<p><strong>Copyright © Gangsters Inc.</strong></p></div>
Texas man accused of running multi-state marijuana trafficking organization that trafficked $13M worth' of weed in one year
https://gangstersinc.org/blog/texas-man-accused-of-running-multi-state-marijuana-trafficking-or
2022-02-23T16:44:37.000Z
2022-02-23T16:44:37.000Z
Gangsters Inc.
https://gangstersinc.org/members/GangstersInc
<div><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/10148293900?profile=RESIZE_400x&width=400"></div><div><p>By <a href="http://www.gangstersinc.org" target="_blank">Gangsters Inc.</a> Editors</p>
<p>Marijuana may be legal in 18 states, but that doesn’t mean one can't still make considerable money selling the stuff on the black market. 51-year-old Fayao “Paul” Rong did just that. He led a large-scale marijuana trafficking operation that grew the plants and then smuggled the weed to states where its use was still prohibited.</p>
<p>Rong was indicted for his leadership role in a conspiracy to traffic large quantities of marijuana illegally grown in Oregon for redistribution and sale in other states. He purchased numerous residential houses in Oregon using several different identities and converted them for use as indoor marijuana grows with thousands of plants.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>$13 million</strong></span></p>
<p>His organization grew, harvested, and transported the marijuana to states where the possession and use of marijuana remains illegal. Investigators believe that, in a 12-month period beginning August 2020, Rong trafficked more than $13.2 million dollars in black market marijuana.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>READ: </strong><a href="https://gangstersinc.org/blog/el-chapo-s-wife-moved-to-minimum-security-prison-to-serve-her-3-y" target="_blank"><strong>El Chapo’s wife moved to minimum-security prison to serve her 3-year sentence</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<p>On September 8 and 9, 2021, a coordinated law enforcement operation led by the DEA and the Oregon State Police (OSP) Northwest Region Marijuana Team targeted Rong’s organization. Federal, state, and local law enforcement partners executed search warrants on 25 Oregon residences and Rong’s Houston home.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>READ: </strong><a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/members-of-drug-ring-that-smuggled-thousands-of-kilos-of-marijuan" target="_blank"><strong>Members of Texas drug ring that smuggled thousands of kilos of marijuana plead guilty</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<p>During the investigation and ensuing search warrants, investigators seized nearly 33,000 marijuana plants, 1,800 pounds of packaged marijuana, 23 firearms, nine vehicles, $20,000 in money orders, and more than $591,000 in cash. In the weeks following the operation, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon filed an action in federal court seeking to forfeit 16 properties used for the illegal manufacturing of marijuana. Together, the properties are worth approximately $6.5 million.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Follow the… electricity bump</strong></span></p>
<p>The Rong organization takedown followed a 14-month investigation by OSP initiated after the agency learned of excessive electricity use at the various properties, which, in several instances, resulted in transformer explosions.</p>
<p>Multiple citizen complaints corroborated law enforcement’s belief that Rong was leading a large black market marijuana operation. With the assistance of the Columbia and Polk County Sheriff’s Offices, OSP found associated marijuana grows in Clatsop, Columbia, Linn, Marion, Multnomah, and Polk Counties.</p>
<p>Rong was arrested last Friday by DEA agents in Houston, Texas, and was released on conditions pending his first appearance in the District of Oregon. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of life in prison with a ten-year mandatory minimum, a $10 million fine, and five years’ supervised release.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Back to the <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/organized-crime-in">Organized Crime in North America section</a> on Gangsters Inc.</strong></li>
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Violent Chicago gang member gets 20 years for role in meth pipeline involving Aryan Brotherhood, Bloods, La Raza, Vice Lords
https://gangstersinc.org/blog/violent-chicago-gang-member-gets-20-years-for-role-in-meth-pipeli
2021-10-09T07:23:37.000Z
2021-10-09T07:23:37.000Z
Gangsters Inc.
https://gangstersinc.org/members/GangstersInc
<div><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/9659462664?profile=RESIZE_400x&width=400"></div><div><p>By <a href="http://www.gangstersinc.org" target="_blank">Gangsters Inc.</a> Editors</p>
<p>A member of a violent Chicago street gang has been sentenced to decades in federal prison for his role in a major drug trafficking conspiracy that funneled large amounts of methamphetamine and other drugs into Georgia.</p>
<p>“This notorious drug trafficking organization distributed poison (methamphetamine) to the coastal and south-Georgia community while causing fear through means of violence and intimidation,” said Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Atlanta Field Division.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Almighty Simon City Royals</strong></span></p>
<p>38-year-old Leroy “Jack Turtlehead” Bozarth was sentenced to almost 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to trafficking methamphetamine. He is a previously convicted felon with decades-long criminal history that started when he sold crack cocaine as a pre-teen.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>INTERVIEW: </strong><a href="https://gangstersinc.org/blog/gang-rules-growing-up-inside-the-la-gang-life" target="_blank"><strong>Gang Rules: Growing up inside the LA gang life</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<p>As a member and “muscle” for the Almighty Simon City Royals, a violent Chicago <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/street-gangs" target="_blank">street gang</a>, Bozarth was part of a conspiracy that transported illegal drugs into south Georgia from Mexico and Atlanta, aided by multiple criminal street gangs including the Ghost Face Gangsters, La Raza/SUR 13, Bloods, Vice Lords, Gangster Disciples, and <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/prison-gangs-the-aryan-brotherhood" target="_blank">Aryan Brotherhood</a>.</p>
<p>“Making our communities safer means removing the violent criminals who endanger our neighborhoods, especially those affiliated with street gangs,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Estes. “As an enforcer for such a gang, Leroy Bozarth used violence, fear and intimidation as tools of his drug trade. Our streets will be safer with him and his co-conspirators behind bars.”</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Operation Stranded Bandit</strong></span></p>
<p>Bozarth was one of 35 defendants indicted as part of Operation Stranded Bandit. The investigation and indictments grew from other major gang-related drug trafficking prosecutions in Operation Vanilla Gorilla and Operation Who’s Laughing Now. The investigations and prosecutions, under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, targeted widespread, gang-related drug trafficking organizations.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>READ: $200 million in 2 years - Profile of </strong><a href="https://gangstersinc.org/blog/200-million-in-2-years-profile-of-sinaloa-drug-lord-victor-emilio" target="_blank"><strong>Sinaloa drug lord Victor Emilio Cazares Gastellum</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<p>The conspirators operated inside and outside Georgia’s prison system, using drones and other means to smuggle cell phones into prisons so that incarcerated conspirators could continue to coordinate the trafficking operations from <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/drug-cartels" target="_blank">Mexico</a> to Georgia.</p>
<p>Of the 35 defendants charged in Operation Stranded Bandit, at least 24 have entered guilty pleas with many of them sentenced, while seven are awaiting trial.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Back to the <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/street-gangs" target="_blank">Street Gangs section</a> on Gangsters Inc.</strong></li>
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