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Cartel drug bust yields arrests in Hesperia
By Mike Cruz
Posted: 09/03/2009 03:03:02 PM PDT
Four people have been arrested in Hesperia with $1.1 million in alleged drug money during a bust by narcotics agents focused on the Sinaloa drug cartel, state officials announced Thursday.
Agents from the Attorney General's Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement arrested the four people in Hesperia and two others in Paramount who had arranged to use the money to purchase 160 pounds of cocaine this week, according to a statement from the office of Attorney General Jerry Brown.
The six people arrested were associates of the Sinaloa cartel.
"Combined with last week's indictments and siezures, these arrests have once again successfully disrupted the operations of this dangerous criminal syndicate," Brown said, in the statement.
Those arrested in the bust are:
- George Rico, 32 of Hesperia, Calif.;
- Janette Rico, 32 of Hesperia, Calif.; and
- Modesto Marin Rico, 53, of Hesperia, Calif.
- Edgar Laureano Cruz, 40, of Los Angeles, Calif.
- Mario Sicairos Eseberre, 46, of Culiacan, Mexico;
- Carlos Victor Lopez Mora, 66, of Mexicali, Mexico;
As part of an undercover operation last month, state agents met with associates of the cartel who wanted to purchase a large quantity of cocaine. These individuals operated out of Imperial, Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties.
Through a series of undercover meetings from Aug. 29-31, agents brokered a deal with the suspects who agreed to buy about 160 pounds of cocaine for more than $1.1
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million, according to state officials. The street value of the cocaine is more than $7 million.
After the deal, agents made arrests at two locations. The first location was in a Home Depot parking lot located at 6400 Alondra Boulevard in Paramount, where two of the suspects had arrived to pick up the cocaine. The second location was at a house in the 15000 block of Lime Street in Hesperia where four people were waiting with the cash.
The suspects were arrested and are being held in Imperial County Jail on $2 million bail each on suspicion of possession of cocaine for sales, transportation of cocaine and possession of excess of $100,000 of drug proceeds. Eash suspect faces up to 15 years in state prison if convicted of all charges.
At the Hesperia location, three children between the ages of 10 and 15 who were found to be living in the home were turned over to child protective services. Agents also seized five weapons at the location, including a .223 caliber Bushmaster AK-47 and a .223 caliber Olympic Arms AR-15.
About $27,000 was seized from the suspects in Paramount.
Agents from the Los Angeles Interagency Metropolitan Police Apprehension Crime Task Force (L.A. IMPACT) and the El Monte Police Department assisted BNE with the investigation.
This bust follows last week's announcement that Brown's office, working with Imperial County District Attorney Gilbert Otero, had secured indictments against 16 people and seized over 550 pounds of cocaine and marijuana as part of "Operation Silver Fox," an eight- month undercover investigation into the Sinaloa drug cartel.
By Mike Cruz
Posted: 09/03/2009 03:03:02 PM PDT
Four people have been arrested in Hesperia with $1.1 million in alleged drug money during a bust by narcotics agents focused on the Sinaloa drug cartel, state officials announced Thursday.
Agents from the Attorney General's Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement arrested the four people in Hesperia and two others in Paramount who had arranged to use the money to purchase 160 pounds of cocaine this week, according to a statement from the office of Attorney General Jerry Brown.
The six people arrested were associates of the Sinaloa cartel.
"Combined with last week's indictments and siezures, these arrests have once again successfully disrupted the operations of this dangerous criminal syndicate," Brown said, in the statement.
Those arrested in the bust are:
- George Rico, 32 of Hesperia, Calif.;
- Janette Rico, 32 of Hesperia, Calif.; and
- Modesto Marin Rico, 53, of Hesperia, Calif.
- Edgar Laureano Cruz, 40, of Los Angeles, Calif.
- Mario Sicairos Eseberre, 46, of Culiacan, Mexico;
- Carlos Victor Lopez Mora, 66, of Mexicali, Mexico;
As part of an undercover operation last month, state agents met with associates of the cartel who wanted to purchase a large quantity of cocaine. These individuals operated out of Imperial, Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties.
Through a series of undercover meetings from Aug. 29-31, agents brokered a deal with the suspects who agreed to buy about 160 pounds of cocaine for more than $1.1
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million, according to state officials. The street value of the cocaine is more than $7 million.
After the deal, agents made arrests at two locations. The first location was in a Home Depot parking lot located at 6400 Alondra Boulevard in Paramount, where two of the suspects had arrived to pick up the cocaine. The second location was at a house in the 15000 block of Lime Street in Hesperia where four people were waiting with the cash.
The suspects were arrested and are being held in Imperial County Jail on $2 million bail each on suspicion of possession of cocaine for sales, transportation of cocaine and possession of excess of $100,000 of drug proceeds. Eash suspect faces up to 15 years in state prison if convicted of all charges.
At the Hesperia location, three children between the ages of 10 and 15 who were found to be living in the home were turned over to child protective services. Agents also seized five weapons at the location, including a .223 caliber Bushmaster AK-47 and a .223 caliber Olympic Arms AR-15.
About $27,000 was seized from the suspects in Paramount.
Agents from the Los Angeles Interagency Metropolitan Police Apprehension Crime Task Force (L.A. IMPACT) and the El Monte Police Department assisted BNE with the investigation.
This bust follows last week's announcement that Brown's office, working with Imperial County District Attorney Gilbert Otero, had secured indictments against 16 people and seized over 550 pounds of cocaine and marijuana as part of "Operation Silver Fox," an eight- month undercover investigation into the Sinaloa drug cartel.