Fourteen Affiliated with Barrio Azteca in Custody on Federal Drug Distribution Conspiracy Charge

John E. Murphy, Acting United States Attorney, Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Joseph M. Arabit and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge David Cuthbertson announced that this morning, federal and state authorities arrested six individuals charged in a federal grand jury indictment with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine.

Those arrested in El Paso this morning include: 23-year-old Elizabeth Vaquera (aka “Liz,” “Chicken Head”), 31-year-old Javier Soto (aka “Buddha”), 29-year-old Miguel Hernandez Reyna (aka “Smurf”), 29-year-old Raul Castro (aka “Listo”), 29-year-old Alberto Provencio (aka “Menace”), 20-year-old Lee Villegas-Marquez (aka “Lee”).

Eight co-defendants, already in custody prior to today’s arrest, include the alleged leader of the drug trafficking organization, 34-year-old Gualberto Marquez (aka “Bird), as well as: 29-year-old Raul Cabral Godoy (aka “Puppet”), 40-year-old Jose Armando Montes (aka “Chuco”), 32-year-old Gerardo Reyna (aka “Shorty,” “Gerardo Aguilar”), 31-year-old Paul Alvino Reyna (aka “Gordo”); 43-year-old Jaime Velasco-Perez, 42-year-old Jamie Andrade Castrejon (aka “Tocayo Jaime,” “El Chonte”), and, 68-year-old Gilberto Sanchez-Porras (aka “El Tio”). Authorities are looking for two remaining defendants: 22year-old Michael Torres (aka “Hex”) and 22-year-old Felipe Jesus Davila (aka “Flip”).

A federal grand jury indictment, returned on Wednesday and unsealed this afternoon, charges all of the named defendants with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine. Velasco-Perez, Castrejon and Sanchez-Porras are also charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine. Finally, Velasco-Perez also faces one count of importation of more than 500 grams of cocaine. Authorities allege the defendants are responsible for distributing in excess of fifty kilograms of cocaine throughout the El Paso area since June 2007. Upon conviction, each defendant faces between ten years and life in federal prison and a maximum $4 million fine.

This case was investigated by agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration and Federal Bureau of Investigation together with investigators from the El Paso Police Department, El Paso County Sheriff’s Department, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorneys Kristal Wade and Russell Leachman are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

Initial Appearances for those arrested today will occur Monday afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael McDonald.

An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until convicted through due process of law.