The investigation began years ago after two drug dealers got into a car accident in a small Tennessee town. What followed was a series of secret wiretaps, a shoot-out with police, and the discovery of drugs hidden in a tractor trailer that would eventually lead federal investigators back to cartel leaders in Mexico. The investigation culminated with Justice Department indictments unsealed Thursday against three leaders and two high-ranking enforcers of the United Cartels, a leading rival of Jalisco New Generation Cartel, reports the AP. The US government is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the arrest of United Cartels' top leader, Juan Jose Farias Alvarez—"El Abuelo," or "The Grandfather"—along with multimillion-dollar rewards for the four others. All five are believed to be in Mexico.
The cases, as outlined in court documents, provide a glimpse into how drugs produced by violent cartels in large labs in Mexico flow across the US border. "These cases in particular serve as a powerful reminder of the insidious impacts that global cartels can have on our local American communities," said Matthew Galeotti, acting assistant attorney general in charge of the Justice Department's criminal division. "The chain started with a violent cartel in Mexico and it ended with law enforcement being shot at in a small town."
United Cartels holds a fierce grip over the western state of Michoacan, Mexico, and as a prolific meth producer has become a top-tier target for US law enforcement. The case is the latest effort by the Trump administration to turn up the pressure on cartels through not only indictments of the groups' leaders but sanctions. The Treasury Department is also bringing economic sanctions against the five defendants, as well as against the United Cartels as a group and against another cartel, Los Viagras. "We have to pursue these criminals up and down the chain to make sure that the end result doesn't result in violence and narcotics distribution on our streets," Galeotti said.
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In addition to "El Abuelo," those indicted are Alfonso Fernandez Magallon, or "Poncho," and Nicolas Sierra Santana, or "El Gordo," who authorities say lead smaller cartels under the United Cartels organization. The two other defendants are Edgar Orozco Cabadas, or "El Kamoni," and Luis Enrique Barragan Chavez, or "Wicho," who serves as Magallon's second-in-command. More backstory here.
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