Commercial Bus Companies Smuggling Drugs Through Out the Americas

Indicted for drug trafficking are the owners/operatorsMontemayor, 39, a resident alien residing in Roma,
of commercial bus companies operating from MexicoTexas; Victor Hinojosa, 41, a resident alien residing in
into the Rio Grande Valley to numerous U.S. cities andHouston; and Eduardo Trevino, 40, of Linares, Mexico,
their drivers, have been indicted for transporting largeas the owners/managers of the various commercial
loads of marijuana and cocaine in specially modifiedbus companies operating as fronts for transporting
commercial buses and using money launderingcocaine and marijuana from Mexico to various
techniques.locations in the U.S. in exchange for cash payments.
According to the U.S. government the indictment, The indictment goes on to say that the
recently unsealed, describes the use of speciallyamount of the payment often depended upon the kind
modified commercial buses by alleged drug traffickersof drug, the size of the load and its ultimate destination.
interested in smuggling contraband into the UnitedFor example, the indictment alleges the defendants
States from Monterrey, Mexico, or transportingcharge from $500 per kilogram of cocaine bound for
contraband from the Rio Grande Valley to Houstonthe U.S. side of the border to $7,000 per kilogram of
and Dallas, Texas; Allentown, Pa.; Joliet, Ill. andcocaine bound for New York. The buses were
elsewhere. The indictment alleges the owners orspecially equipped with hidden compartments to
managers of the Transtar, Neptune Tours, Los Primos,conceal loads of contraband from detection. According
USA-MEX and Ameri-Mex commercial busto allegations in the indictment, the owner/managers
companies, with offices and terminals in Monterrey,discussed ways to operate their buses to protect
Mexico and Rio Grande City, Roma, San Antonio andthemselves from detection by law enforcement
Houston, Texas, used their various companies as aincluding changing the names of the bus companies as
front for their drug transport services, and hired driversloads of cocaine and marijuana were seized to
and loaders to transport the illegal cargo in hiddenclaiming the buses were leased to others. Abel
compartments built into the bus or in areas notTrevino, Montemayor and Hinojosa were arrested
accessible to the public. In exchange for the services,today in Houston. A warrant remains outstanding for
the indictment alleges the owners/managers of thethe arrest of Prado and Eduardo Trevino.
bus companies received thousands of dollars inLeticia Enedina Fournier, 58; Guadalupe Karr Cortez,
kickbacks from the proceeds of the drug loads from47, an illegal alien, Jesse Trevino, 48, a resident alien,
which they drew their share and paid the drivers andand Alejandro Carmargo-Guerra, 59, a resident alien, all
loaders. According to the indictment, this drug transportof Houston; Victor Rocha, 39, a resident alien residing in
service has been in operation since at least NovemberDickinson, Texas, and Enrique Alvaro Saldana, 53, a
2001 and is responsible for transporting hundreds ofresident alien residing in Roma, Texas, are alleged
kilograms of cocaine, thousands of pounds ofco-conspirators hired by the owner/managers as bus
marijuana from the border to points north and millionsdrivers and loaders who were paid by the owners
of dollars in drug proceeds south to Mexico. OCEDTFmanagers to transport and deliver the drug loads
Operation Road King II targeted this organizationhidden aboard the commercial buses as directed by
beginning in 2001 and through the use of tried and truethe owners/managers. This morning, investigating
investigative techniques, communication, coordinationagents arrested Trevino and Rocha in Houston,
and cooperation, ultimately established a moreCarmargo-Guerra in Waco, Texas, and Cortez in Lake
sophisticated undercover operation. Through thatCharles, La. Warrants remain outstanding for the arrest
undercover operation, more than 570 kilograms ofof Fournier and Saldana.
cocaine, 3,000 plus pounds of marijuana and theGuadalupe Castaneda, 46, of Roma, Texas; Eduardo
thousands of dollars in cash have been seized.Cirilo, 42, of Pharr, Texas; Eduardo Salinas, 29, of
Additionally, this multi-agency investigative effort hasMission, Texas; Jose Armando Muniz, 33, of Weslaco,
lead to arrests in and the seizure of 200 kilograms ofTexas; Rafael Armando Ramirez, 32, an illegal alien
cocaine in Allentown and 1,100 pounds of marijuana inresiding in the Houston area; Luis Larios, 36, and Robert
Joliet. Information gathered through the investigationSalazar Rivera, 48, both of Monterrey, Mexico, are
was shared with law enforcement agencies in otheraccused of utilizing and paying for the services of the
U.S. cities including New York, North Carolina, Newbus companies to transport loads of cocaine and
Jersey, Tennessee, Alabama, Florida and Maryland.marijuana to various locations in the United States.
The indictment is the result of a long-term OrganizedEduardo Salinas was arrested this morning in McAllen,
Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF)Texas, while Cirilo was arrested today in Baton Rouge,
investigation dubbed Operation Road King II.La. Warrants remain outstanding for the arrest of
ÂCastaneda, Muniz, Ramirez, Larios and Rivera.
John P. Walters, the Director of the White HouseAccording to the FBI all 18 defendants are charged in
Office of National Drug Control Policy commented thatthe conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute
the positive impact the coordinated and cooperativecocaine and marijuana and face no less than 10 years
effort federal, state and local law enforcement actionand a maximum of life imprisonment if convicted. Most
has had on reducing the supply of drugs and theof the defendants are also charged with conspiracy to
concomitant reduction in demand is impressive.launder drug proceeds and face a maximum of 20
Special Agent in Charge Andrew Bland of FBIyears imprisonment if convicted. The remaining 14
Houston, together with Special Agent in Charge Zorancounts of the indictment charge various defendants
B. Yankovich of DEA Houston, recognized their lawwith aiding and abetting the possession with intent to
enforcement colleagues in the High Intensity Drugdistribute varying amounts of either cocaine for
Trafficking Area Task Force (HIDTA) which, in thismarijuana and face punishment ranges upon conviction
case, included the Houston Police Department,from a maximum of five years imprisonment to life
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Customsimprisonment and millions of dollars in fines.
and Border Protection (CBP), and the TexasThe indictment also serves notice on the defendants
Department of Public Safety (DPS) for theirof the intent of the United States to forfeit their
long-standing commitment and outstanding contributionsinterests in a number of real properties located in east
to this OCDETF investigation. The U.S. MarshalsHouston, Texas, which were allegedly used to facilitate
Service, also a member of HIDTA, was recognized foror obtained with proceeds from the crimes alleged in
its extraordinary efforts during the arrest process.the indictment.
The U.S. Justice Department indictments identifies AbelThis case will be prosecuted by Assistant U.S.
Trevino Jr., 43, of Houston; Oscar Jaime Garcia Prado,Attorney Jesse Rodriguez.
42, a resident alien residing in Brookshire, Texas; Miguel