Indictment Charges Eight with Drug Trafficking and Conspiracy to Kidnap

SAN DIEGO, CA—United States Attorney Karen P. Hewitt announced today the unsealing of an indictment charging eight individuals with drug trafficking and conspiracy to kidnap charges. Seven of the eight individuals charged in the indictment were arrested on April 14, 2009 and charged in a criminal complaint. The indictment was handed up by a federal grand jury sitting in San Diego on April 29, 2009 and unsealed today.

The indictment arose out of a long-term drug trafficking investigation being conducted by agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration assigned to the Major Mexican Traffickers’ Strike Force in San Diego, including agents and officers from the San Diego Police Department, the Chula Vista Police Department, the Internal Revenue Service, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

According to court documents, during the course of the drug investigation, agents became aware that a number of the subjects of the investigation, among them Armando Gonzalez-Heredia, Gerardo Martinez-Velasco, Alejandro Gonzalez-Heredia, Ricardo Perez, Nuria Martinez-Alvarado, and Hector Peraza, were making plans to kidnap an individual associated with a lost or stolen drug shipment. The individuals continued to make preparations to carry out the kidnaping, including bringing up Gabriel Perez from Mexico in order to assist in carrying out the kidnaping, obtaining a van to use in the crime, and conducting extensive research to locate their intended victim, and also his family, one of whom they intended to kidnap in the event that they were unable to locate the intended victim. Federal agents arrested the defendants before they could commit the kidnaping.

The indictment alleges that on April 14, 2009, evidence developed by agents indicated that a number of the defendants were making plans to travel to the victim’s suspected residence and that Armando Gonzalez-Heredia was making plans to receive drugs from Humberto Rosas-Alvarez. Agents arrested the seven defendants charged in the complaint that day, and seized approximately 368 grams of cocaine from Armando Gonzalez-Heredia and an additional 585 grams of cocaine from the business at which Humberto Rosas-Alvarez worked. Alejandro Gonzalez-Heredia was not present with the other defendants when the arrests were made and is presently believed to be residing in Tijuana, Mexico.

United States Attorney Hewitt praised the efforts of the Major Mexican Traffickers’ Strike Force and all the member agencies and law enforcement officials who participated in this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation and who prevented this kidnaping from occurring. The OCDETF program was created to consolidate and utilize all law enforcement resources in this country’s battle
against major drug trafficking.

DEFENDANTS - Case Number: 09cr1684DMS
Armando Gonzalez-Heredia, aka Gallo
Gerardo Martinez-Velasco, aka Pancho
Alejandro Gonzalez-Heredia, aka Guero - Fugitive
Ricardo Perez, aka Tigre
Gabriel Perez, aka Cacholin Nuria Martinez-Alvarado, aka Gorda, Tanque Hector Peraza, aka Junior Humberto Rosas-Alvarez, aka Wasabi

SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Number of Defendants: 8
Title 18, United States Code, Section 1201(a)(1), (c) - Conspiracy to Kidnap Title 21, United States Code, Sections 846 and 841(a)(1) - Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine and Marijuana Title 21,United States Code, Section 841(a)(1) - Distribution of Cocaine Title 21,United States Code, Section 841(a)(1) - Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute Title 18, United States Code, Section 2 - Aiding and Abetting

PARTICIPATING AGENCIES
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Drug Enforcement Administration
San Diego Police Department
Chula Vista Police Department
Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Immigration and Customs Enforcement

A complaint or indictment is not evidence that the defendants committed the crimes charged. The defendants are presumed innocent until the Government meets its burden in court of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.