High-Level West Coast Drug Trafficking Ring Dismantled

SAN FRANCISCO—A federal grand jury in San Francisco indicted 20 defendants on Jan. 17 for drug related charges that include conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, 280 grams or more of cocaine base and 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, United States Attorney Melinda Haag announced.

According to the indictment, which was unsealed yesterday, the defendants engaged in a long-term narcotics conspiracy. The indictment also alleges that 15 of the defendants distributed illegal narcotics or possessed illegal narcotics with the intent to distribute them.

According to the indictment, two of the defendants, Antonio Jose Diaz-Rivera, a/k/a Jose Angel Monroy, a/k/a Magico, a/k/a Miguel; and Santos Cabrera-Arteaga, a/k/a Chelé, are alleged to have operated continuing criminal enterprises by committing a series of drug trafficking crimes while working in concert with at least five other people whom they organized, supervised or managed, and by obtaining substantial income and resources from the enterprise.

The following defendants were charged in the indictment that alleges a narcotics conspiracy:

• Antonio Jose Diaz-Rivera, a/k/a Jose Angel Monroy, a/k/a Magico, a/k/a Miguel, 35, of San Francisco.
• Chabelita Lnu, a/k/a Isabel.
• Fatima Carolina Segovia, 32, of Hayward, Calif.
• Fnu Lnu, a/k/a Alé.
• Fnu Lnu, a/k/a Gata.
• Franklin Almendarez, a/k/a Pelon, 31, of Oakland, Calif.
• Fortunato Rodelo-Lara, a/k/a Nato, 42, of San Mateo, Calif.
• Javier Antonio Cabrera-Arteaga, a/k/a Piloto, 26, of Seattle.
• Jesus Almendares-Vasquez, a/k/a Wilfredo, 36, of San Jose, Calif.
• Jesus De La Paz Lopez-Soto, a/k/a Catrin Soto, a/k/a El Catrin, 34.
• Joel Lnu, a/k/a Jose Cortez, a/k/a Tavo, a/k/a Estrada.
• Jose Evaristo-Rauda, a/k/a Yuquita, 44, of San Francisco.
• Jose Tobar-Galdamez, a/k/a Renaud, 47, of Hayward.
• Juan Carlos Monroy, a/k/a Juanito, a/k/a Chapulincito, 20.
• Layser A. Cabrera, a/k/a Felix Antonio Escobar, 25.
• Luis Cabrera-Banegas, a/k/a Tigre, 26.
• Luis Fernando Aguilar-Soto, 46. Marcos Antonio Flores, 49, of Vallejo, Calif.
• Santos Cabrera-Arteaga, a/k/a Chelé, 30.
• Tilo Rodriguez-Hernandez, a/k/a Dixon Rodriguez, a/k/a Teodoro, 24.

Of those charged, the following defendants were arrested and arraigned in federal court in San Francisco, yesterday:

Antonio Jose Diaz-Rivera, arrested in San Francisco. Jose Evaristo-Rauda, arrested in South San Francisco. Fatima Carolina Segovia, arrested in Hayward. Jose Tobar-Galdamez, arrested in Hayward. Fortunato Rodelo-Lara, arrested in San Mateo. Marcos Antonio Flores, arrested in Vallejo. Jesus Almendares-Vasquez, arrested in San Jose. Javier Antonio Cabrera-Arteaga, arrested in Seattle.

All of the defendants who were arrested in the Bay Area have detention hearings or status hearings scheduled next week or the following week in federal court in San Francisco before Magistrate Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley or Magistrate Judge Maria-Elena James.

The maximum statutory penalty for conspiracy to distribute and to possess with Intent to distribute cocaine, cocaine base, and methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 846, 841(b)(1)(A)(ii), 841(b)(1)(A)(iii), and 841(b)(1)(A)(viii); operating a continuing criminal enterprise, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 848(a); possession with intent to distribute and distribution of cocaine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(A)(ii); possession with intent to distribute and distribution of cocaine base, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(A)(iii); and possession with intent to distribute and distribution of methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(A)(viii), is life in prison and a fine of up to $4 million. The maximum statutory penalty for possession with intent to distribute and distribution of cocaine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)©, is 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $1milliion. The maximum statutory penalty for possession with intent to distribute and distribution of cocaine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(A)(ii); and for distribution of cocaine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(B)(ii), is 40 years in prison and a fine of up to $2 million. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.

In addition to those charged in the narcotics conspiracy, two defendants Armando Antonio Monroy, 48, of San Francisco, and Jorge Peraza-Rivas, 37, of San Francisco, were each charged in an indictment, issued on Jan. 10 and unsealed yesterday, that alleges one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and two counts of wire fraud. They face a maximum of 30 years in prison and a fine of the greater of $1 million or twice the gain or loss from the offense for each count. Both defendants were arrested in San Francisco.

Twenty-three defendants were charged by criminal complaint on Jan. 23, 2012, in a related investigation in Seattle. 20 of them were arrested yesterday in the Seattle area.

The prosecution is the result of a four-year investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations, San Francisco Police Department, and Oakland Police Department. In addition, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, San Mateo County Narcotics Task Force, the Daly City Police Department, the Richmond Police Department, the Southern Alameda County Major Crimes Task Force, the California Department of Justice Bureau of Investigations, the Alameda County Narcotics Task Force, the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, the U.S. Marshals Service, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations assisted in the investigation.

Please note, an indictment contains only allegations against an individual and, the defendants must be presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Further Information:

Case #: CR 12-0030 EMC Case #: CR 12-0010 EMC

A copy of this press release may be found on the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s website at www.usdoj.gov/usao/can.