| Indicted for drug trafficking are the owners | | | | alien residing in Brookshire, Texas; Miguel |
| operators of commercial bus companies | | | | Montemayor, 39, a resident alien residing in |
| operating from Mexico into the Rio Grande | | | | Roma, Texas; Victor Hinojosa, 41, a resident |
| Valley to numerous U.S. cities and their | | | | alien residing in Houston; and Eduardo |
| drivers, have been indicted for transporting | | | | Trevino, 40, of Linares, Mexico, as the |
| large loads of marijuana and cocaine in | | | | owners/managers of the various commercial bus |
| specially modified commercial buses and using | | | | companies operating as fronts for |
| money laundering techniques. | | | | transporting cocaine and marijuana from |
| | | | Mexico to various locations in the U.S. in |
| According to the U.S. government the | | | | exchange for cash payments. Â The |
| indictment, recently unsealed, describes the | | | | indictment goes on to say that the amount of |
| use of specially modified commercial buses by | | | | the payment often depended upon the kind of |
| alleged drug traffickers interested in | | | | drug, the size of the load and its ultimate |
| smuggling contraband into the United States | | | | destination. For example, the indictment |
| from Monterrey, Mexico, or transporting | | | | alleges the defendants charge from $500 per |
| contraband from the Rio Grande Valley to | | | | kilogram of cocaine bound for the U.S. side |
| Houston and Dallas, Texas; Allentown, Pa.; | | | | of the border to $7,000 per kilogram of |
| Joliet, Ill. and elsewhere. The indictment | | | | cocaine bound for New York. The buses were |
| alleges the owners or managers of the | | | | specially equipped with hidden compartments |
| Transtar, Neptune Tours, Los Primos, USA-MEX | | | | to conceal loads of contraband from |
| and Ameri-Mex commercial bus companies, with | | | | detection. According to allegations in the |
| offices and terminals in Monterrey, Mexico | | | | indictment, the owner/managers discussed ways |
| and Rio Grande City, Roma, San Antonio and | | | | to operate their buses to protect themselves |
| Houston, Texas, used their various companies | | | | from detection by law enforcement including |
| as a front for their drug transport services, | | | | changing the names of the bus companies as |
| and hired drivers and loaders to transport | | | | loads of cocaine and marijuana were seized to |
| the illegal cargo in hidden compartments | | | | claiming the buses were leased to others. |
| built into the bus or in areas not accessible | | | | Abel Trevino, Montemayor and Hinojosa were |
| to the public. In exchange for the services, | | | | arrested today in Houston. A warrant remains |
| the indictment alleges the owners/managers of | | | | outstanding for the arrest of Prado and |
| the bus companies received thousands of | | | | Eduardo Trevino. |
| dollars in kickbacks from the proceeds of the | | | | |
| drug loads from which they drew their share | | | | Leticia Enedina Fournier, 58; Guadalupe Karr |
| and paid the drivers and loaders. According | | | | Cortez, 47, an illegal alien, Jesse Trevino, |
| to the indictment, this drug transport | | | | 48, a resident alien, and Alejandro |
| service has been in operation since at least | | | | Carmargo-Guerra, 59, a resident alien, all of |
| November 2001 and is responsible for | | | | Houston; Victor Rocha, 39, a resident alien |
| transporting hundreds of kilograms of | | | | residing in Dickinson, Texas, and Enrique |
| cocaine, thousands of pounds of marijuana | | | | Alvaro Saldana, 53, a resident alien residing |
| from the border to points north and millions | | | | in Roma, Texas, are alleged co-conspirators |
| of dollars in drug proceeds south to Mexico. | | | | hired by the owner/managers as bus drivers |
| OCEDTF Operation Road King II targeted this | | | | and loaders who were paid by the owners |
| organization beginning in 2001 and through | | | | managers to transport and deliver the drug |
| the use of tried and true investigative | | | | loads hidden aboard the commercial buses as |
| techniques, communication, coordination and | | | | directed by the owners/managers. This |
| cooperation, ultimately established a more | | | | morning, investigating agents arrested |
| sophisticated undercover operation. Through | | | | Trevino and Rocha in Houston, Carmargo-Guerra |
| that undercover operation, more than 570 | | | | in Waco, Texas, and Cortez in Lake Charles, |
| kilograms of cocaine, 3,000 plus pounds of | | | | La. Warrants remain outstanding for the |
| marijuana and the thousands of dollars in | | | | arrest of Fournier and Saldana. |
| cash have been seized. Additionally, this | | | | |
| multi-agency investigative effort has lead to | | | | Guadalupe Castaneda, 46, of Roma, Texas; |
| arrests in and the seizure of 200 kilograms | | | | Eduardo Cirilo, 42, of Pharr, Texas; Eduardo |
| of cocaine in Allentown and 1,100 pounds of | | | | Salinas, 29, of Mission, Texas; Jose Armando |
| marijuana in Joliet. Information gathered | | | | Muniz, 33, of Weslaco, Texas; Rafael Armando |
| through the investigation was shared with law | | | | Ramirez, 32, an illegal alien residing in the |
| enforcement agencies in other U.S. cities | | | | Houston area; Luis Larios, 36, and Robert |
| including New York, North Carolina, New | | | | Salazar Rivera, 48, both of Monterrey, |
| Jersey, Tennessee, Alabama, Florida and | | | | Mexico, are accused of utilizing and paying |
| Maryland. | | | | for the services of the bus companies to |
| | | | transport loads of cocaine and marijuana to |
| The indictment is the result of a long-term | | | | various locations in the United States. |
| Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force | | | | Eduardo Salinas was arrested this morning in |
| (OCDETF) investigation dubbed Operation Road | | | | McAllen, Texas, while Cirilo was arrested |
| King II. | | | | today in Baton Rouge, La. Warrants remain |
| | | | outstanding for the arrest of Castaneda, |
| Â | | | | Muniz, Ramirez, Larios and Rivera. |
| | | | |
| John P. Walters, the Director of the White | | | | According to the FBI all 18 defendants are |
| House Office of National Drug Control Policy | | | | charged in the conspiracy to possess with |
| commented that the positive impact the | | | | intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana |
| coordinated and cooperative effort federal, | | | | and face no less than 10 years and a maximum |
| state and local law enforcement action has | | | | of life imprisonment if convicted. Most of |
| had on reducing the supply of drugs and the | | | | the defendants are also charged with |
| concomitant reduction in demand is | | | | conspiracy to launder drug proceeds and face |
| impressive. | | | | a maximum of 20 years imprisonment if |
| | | | convicted. The remaining 14 counts of the |
| Special Agent in Charge Andrew Bland of FBI | | | | indictment charge various defendants with |
| Houston, together with Special Agent in | | | | aiding and abetting the possession with |
| Charge Zoran B. Yankovich of DEA Houston, | | | | intent to distribute varying amounts of |
| recognized their law enforcement colleagues | | | | either cocaine for marijuana and face |
| in the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area | | | | punishment ranges upon conviction from a |
| Task Force (HIDTA) which, in this case, | | | | maximum of five years imprisonment to life |
| included the Houston Police Department, | | | | imprisonment and millions of dollars in |
| Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), | | | | fines. |
| Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and the | | | | |
| Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) for | | | | The indictment also serves notice on the |
| their long-standing commitment and | | | | defendants of the intent of the United States |
| outstanding contributions to this OCDETF | | | | to forfeit their interests in a number of |
| investigation. The U.S. Marshals Service, | | | | real properties located in east Houston, |
| also a member of HIDTA, was recognized for | | | | Texas, which were allegedly used to |
| its extraordinary efforts during the arrest | | | | facilitate or obtained with proceeds from the |
| process. | | | | crimes alleged in the indictment. |
| | | | |
| The U.S. Justice Department indictments | | | | This case will be prosecuted by Assistant |
| identifies Abel Trevino Jr., 43, of Houston; | | | | U.S. Attorney Jesse Rodriguez. |
| Oscar Jaime Garcia Prado, 42, a resident | | | | |