Drug trafficking is popping up in unlikely tourist areas along the Oregon coast: Photos. After agents toppled the drug ring, the cartel turned on the gang. "If its coming from a cartel, they could have sold a pound to Asians, black guys, outlaw motorcycle gangs, white trash," said Lt. Jeremy Williams, of the Ashe County Sheriff's Office inNorth Carolina. "But its a little different when you go to Boise, Idaho, and other small towns where they dont have the resources to really focus on an international cartel.". And though few Americans know his name, authorities promise they soon will. In Mexico, El Mencho is a household name. The Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) is targeting and killing police officers at their homes in Guanajuato, Mexico's most violent state and the most dangerous for police. He co-founded Breitbart Texas Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darbyand senior Breitbart management. Robert Hammer, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Seattle, told The Courier Journal that cartels take advantage of the Interstate 5 corridor, a straight route that runs from the San Ysidro border crossing north through Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland and into Vancouver, Canada. Known as CJNG, the cartel is a global powerhouse, detected on every continent except Antarctica. The U.S government has crippled dozens ofbusinessesthat supported CJNGandsentElMenchosson and chief financial backer to prison, along with members of his inner circle. Police had long known John Armas was a major meth trafficker, but he was careful. Twomasterminds now in prisonorchestrated the scheme from Guadalajara:Carlos Parra Pedroza,aliasWalt Disney, who owned a jewelry store; and Diego Pineda Sanchez, an accountant. More:Will El Chapo son's arrest slow export of drugs to US? Los Cabos allegedly engaged in this violence in support of CJNG, one of the most dangerous transnational criminal organizations in the world. After agents toppled the Oregon drug network in 2018 and arrested 23 suspects, there were murders in Mexico that U.S. investigators suspect were meant to scare and silence potential witnesses in the Portland case. But federal agents say CJNG was Kentuckys main supplier of fentanyl at the time of his death. "When they shot the helicopter out of the sky is when everyone respected CJNG as a powerhouse cartel and a rival of Sinaloa,"Donahue said. A veteran Jalisco police officer, whoasked not to be identified for his safety, said CJNG has officials on its payroll at thelocal, state and federal levels. CHINESE 'CARTELS' QUIETLY OPERATING IN MEXICO, AIDING US DRUG CRISIS. Hollie McKay has a been a Fox News Digital staff reporter since 2007. In turn, the Sinaloans killed a high-ranking CJNG boss in the area, Emiliano Torres Ramrez AKA El Agapo. CJNG's rapid rise to power and its expansion havestunned and stymied Americas top drug fighters. Closethe air vents. The cartel has its hands in trafficking multiple deadly substances. As a young adult, he and his older brother, Abraham Oseguera Cervantes,sold heroin to two undercover police officers at a San Francisco bar in 1992 and were sent to federal prison on drug trafficking charges. While some moves targeted the cartels finances, others were more personal. And he realized he faced a mandatory minimum of 10 years if convicted at trial and would miss watching his 6-month-old son grow up. Explore the investigation wall showing the connections of El Mencho and CJNG cartel. On April 6, the US Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced sanctions against Carlos . Mexico's cartel crackdown struggling despite victory? "It's important for all Americans to understand the threat to their community and what might impact their everyday lives," Evans said. 13 Mexican police officers were killed in an ambush, sold heroin to two undercover police officers, fired Russian-made rocket-propelled grenade launchers, Investigators uncovered a hidden hub of stash houses, state trooper working with a DEA task force nearly brought down El Mencho, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. In Seaside, known for commercial fishing and timber, traffickers easily established a strong customer base. There's a lot of family back in Michoacn.". CJNG torture video - The man was poured alcohol on his head and set on fire The man was poured alcohol on his head and set on fire The gunmen used isopropyl alcohol to set fire to the man's face and mocked his nickname. The cartel exploits its connections with otherwise hard-working immigrants, said Dan Dodds, who leads DEA operations in Kentucky, Tennessee and West Virginia. He agreed to talk to agents only about certain drug crimes, including detailing his actions and his uncle's actions inside the U.S., after a judge released him from jail on bond and after his elder family members gave him their blessing. This time, as Farfan oversaw his drug business, FBI agents mounted an investigation against him. The CJNG has also been accused of directly extorting businesses in the capital. Colima: Four members of the CJNG cartel mistakenly identified a ten year old girl as the daughter of a rival involved in a conflict over drug market territory. Officials in Attorney General William Barr's office declined to comment on The Courier Journal's findings. FBI agents lauded Walker's work, which helped the Bureau and Homeland Security Investigations expose an extensive drug distribution cell that targeted the Pacific Northwest. Echeagaray pointed out that CJNG, although very violent, does not target civilians systematically. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE AN ACCOUNT, SIGN UP FOR ONE HERE. Uncensored versions of the videos can be seen below. "Our community is paying a steep price," said Carlos Guevara, a senior policy adviser for UnidosUS, Americas largest Latino civil rights organization. "It's gonna be hard to catch him slippin'," said Mori, the DEA agent overseeing the U.S. criminal investigation against El Mencho. Legal Statement. Investigators trailed behind Eduardo to the Lloyd Center shopping mall in Portland on July 10, 2018. This case is another example of how CJNG is increasingly vying for turf in Michoacn, the birthplace of its leader, Rubn Oseguera Cervantes. At first, he supervised work crews at his uncle's construction business building houses, Roberto's attorney, Robert Salisbury, said. He paid couriers to return the drug profits to him. More:US drug czar wants India to stem flow of chemicals used by Mexican cartels for fentanyl. "Different groups are active in virtually all Mexican territory, with the Sinaloa federation being concentrated in the north/west portion of the country, and CJNG being concentrated in the south/central but extending across Mexico to Veracruz.". Attackers in armored vehicles opened fire with high-caliber weapons, gunning down officers driving five SUVs. Chicago prosecutors allegein court filingsthat LuisAlderetewas ahigh-level cartel operativewhoshopped for a hitman on Facebook to take care of a gang member in Cairo, Illinois, to silence him. Even after El Mencho's girlfriend went to prison, the cartel quickly returned to the Gulf Coast with more loads of drugs. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel). Smaller towns. He said very little while chatting on cell phones, and he changed phones a lot. It is known for its aggressive use of violence and its public relations campaigns. U.S. officials have . The Portland-based drug network, which stretched into affluent area suburbs, westbound to Oregon's quaint coastal cities and north into southwestern Washington, is emblematic of a key Mexican cartel strategy to establish drug pipelines far beyond the border and into small, unsuspecting towns. The Elite Group is the top tier enforcement wing of the Jalisco New GeneralCartel, often referred to as CJNG. In July, Coco was sentenced to time served and released. Sam Upshaw Jr., Louisville Courier Journal. The . El Menchos powerful international syndicate is flooding the U.S. with thousands of kilos of methamphetamines, heroin, cocaine and fentanyl every year despite being targeted repeatedly by undercover stings, busts and lengthy investigations. "That's the type ofterrorists were dealing with here.". The cartel's expansion into smaller, unexpected communities began to mushroom about five years ago as U.S. intelligence analysts tracked its movements far beyond border towns and major hubs. "That puts a target on my back," he told his attorney. Still, The Courier Journal traveled to Portland, its suburbs, the Oregon coast and Seattle to review court records and interview federal agents, defense attorneys and prosecutors to learn about the Farfan drug ring, its cartel ties and how it finally imploded. Victor Alvarez Farfan began sneaking into the U.S. and targeting the Portland area more than two decades ago when he was in his early 20s. State and federal authorities have been unable to stop a fierce war in Michoacan between the CJNG and Carteles Unidos, an alliance of smaller regional organizations with proxy support from the Sinaloa Cartel. The Courier Journal could not say with certainty who supplied the drugs that killed Adam Cooley. The United Cartel carried out the attack against the Jalisco New Generation Cartel [CJNG] on the border separating northern states Michoacan and Jalisco earlier this month. Soldiers seized a couple of modified and armored trucks at a warehouse in the municipality of Camargo during a patrol on Saturday, local media reported. In disturbing footage, thugs smash a man's face into a truck before kicking and punching him on the floor. He and Helida Montes, his partner for 16 years, settled their two children in Oregon City as Farfan grew his business, roping in two of his nephews. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. ", "The cartels have become so large and powerful that you sometimes need an army to defeat an army!". For an overview of the Pjaros Sierra versus Crtel Jalisco Nueva Generacin (CJNG) conflict, please see this previous Borderland Beat story. The case took place in Marcos Castellanos, Michoacan, where gunmen stormed a funeral service and forced mourners to line up against a wall before opening fire. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @holliesmckay. Enemies: CJNG, Juarez Cartel, Los Zetas. CJNG took credit on social media for the massacre. CJNG wasn't the only cartel in the Bluegrass State in 2017, but authorities say it was the main supplier of fentanyl when Louisville's Adam Cooley, who sought heroin, snorted 20 times a lethal . He got his first glimpse of CJNGs success when he was overseeing drug cases in Los Angeles, a key cartel hub. On April 13, 2017, federal agents arrested Maciason his way to Calumet Farm. The 21-year-old cartel leader, one of El Mencho's main underlings in Michoacn state, was killed when her heavily armed group launched a firefight with police. I don't really care what the prosecutor says.. The violence of 2015 was a wake-upcall,saidTerryCole, a former New York City police officer who oversees DEA agents in Guadalajaraas the assistant regional director forNorth and Central America. "All intelligence indicates hes still there, moving regularly," said Craine, the retired DEA supervisor who led the successful hunt for El Chapo. 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