Alleged Barrio Azteca gang members arrested during “Operation Heroin Battle”
Investigators arrested 17 alleged Barrio Azteca gang members during a roundup this week, said officials with the Texas Department of Public Safety during a news conference Thursday.
DPS was assisted by local law enforcement agencies, as well as the FBI, DEA, ATF and Homeland Security Investigations.
A DPS official said the suspects are accused of trafficking heroin in the El Paso area. Five additional suspects tied to the alleged drug trafficking scheme were already in custody.
Investigators said the suspects in custody are facing several charges, including “engaging in organized criminal activity” and “manufacture and delivery of a controlled substance.”
Officials were not able to confirm the residency status of the suspects in custody and those still on the run.
When asked about the status of the suspects in the gang’s hierarchy, officials said they did not know what role each suspect played within the gang.
Authorities say the suspects trafficked drugs in El Paso, Midland, San Antonio, Dallas and the New Mexico area.
“As any crime, especially organized crime and how they influence our schools, the younger generations who find the easy way to make a buck, and that’s where they hook them at a young age. And that’s where they become a threat to our society as they continue to grow older and affect our community,” DPS Regional Director Orlando Alaniz said.
Authorities have been working on this investigation for 20 months before serving warrants and seizing money Wednesday.
“We’re able to target low level dealers, street-level dealers, operating here in El Paso, that are affecting the daily lives of El Pasoans, every single day,” Special Agent in Charge Karen Flowers said.
Flowers tells ABC-7 authorities seized more than $292,000. She adds a large amount of money for a street level organization is a sign of where that money might have been headed.
During the operation, investigators also seized: five pounds of heroin, three pounds of cocaine, 18 pounds of marijuana and approximately a pound of methamphetamine.
“We are talking street level dealers, but the fact that they had over $257,000 dollars in cash, bundled and ready to go, and my guess, is that it’s going right back to the border to get more product,” Flowers said.
Flowers says the drug bust is significant.
“Heroin addiction is different than any other drug, heroin users aren’t using heroin to get high after the first or second time, they’re only using it to maintain and not get withdrawal symptoms. So to do that, they have to get heroin supply 2, 3, 4 times a day, depending on their level of addiction. So by addressing this organization operating in El Paso, you’re going to see a big impact,” Flowers said.
Six of the 28 suspects are still at large.
“When you have money and dope coming into the same location, that’s when the increased danger is heightened, so the fact that they were living throughout our community, would lead me to believe that these transactions were taking place in our community, all over our community west, east, north, south El Paso. So everyone, whether it’s a 711 parking lot, or a house, are in danger,” Flowers said.
THOSE ARRESTED INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING INDIVIDUALS:
1. Robert Young, 34, of El Paso, TX
2. Ramon Garcia, 45, of El Paso, TX
3. Victor Romero, 50, of El Paso, TX
4. Cynthia Corral, 53, of El Paso, TX
5. Dora Gutierrez, 35, of El Paso, TX
6. Hector Minjarez, 57, of El Paso, TX
7. Olga Vasquez, 53, of El Paso, TX
8. Joel Flores, 37, of El Paso, TX
9. Dakota Kennedy, 30, of El Paso, TX
10. Gabriel Marquez, 25, of El Paso, TX
11. Julio Beltran, 33, of El Paso, TX
12. Johnny Rangel, 37, of El Paso, TX
13. Andrew Rios, 24, of El Paso, TX
14. Josephine Garcia, 38, of El Paso, TX
15. Samuel Atayde, 28, of El Paso, TX
16. Kevin Chavarria-Garcia, 19, of El Paso, TX
17. David Dominguez, 31, of El Paso, TX
SUBJECTS ALREADY IN STATE CUSTODY, PENDING ADDITIONAL CHARGES:
1. Aaron Serrano, 37, El Paso, TX (Incarcerated already)
2. Benjamin Ritter, 50, El Paso, TX (Incarcerated already)
3. Shera Sansores, 34, El Paso, TX (Incarcerated already)
4. Guido Cantoral, 29, El Paso, TX (Incarcerated already)
5. Patsy Garcia, 41, El Paso, TX (Incarcerated already)
