Federal officials revealed on Wednesday the dismantling of a group that utilized trucks to transport fire extinguishers containing illegal drugs like fentanyl and methamphetamine across the U.S.-Mexico border.
The announcement coincided with the arraignment of the final defendant apprehended in connection with a federal indictment outlining a smuggling operation involving fentanyl, methamphetamine, and heroin concealed within scrap metal shipments.
Dubbed Operation “Smoke Jumpers,” the two-year investigation culminated in the seizure of significant quantities of illicit substances, including over 680,992 fentanyl pills, 3 kilograms of fentanyl powder, 17 kilograms of heroin, and over 10,000 pills containing methamphetamine.
The crackdown resulted in the arrest of nine individuals during a sweep conducted from February 8th to Monday, with one person already in state custody and seven fugitives believed to be residing in Mexico, as reported by the U.S. Department of Justice.
The defendants namely, Oscar Ahumada Leyva, 43, of Mexico; Miguel Antonio Rabago Valenzuela, 42, of Mexico; Gustavo Rivero Rodriguez, 39, of Mexico; Carlos Espinoza, 38, of Alhambra; Erick Roque Angeles, 39, of Fontana; David Sanchez Balderas, 26, of Denver; Fernando Salgado, 36, of Riverside; Rocio Guadalupe Acevedo Tonche, 32, of Ontario; and Efren Quibrera Espinoza, 29, of Cudahy.
The defendants, as described by Martin Estrada, US Attorney for Central District Of California were said to have used a sophisticated network to smuggle immense amounts of fentanyl into the country.
“These defendants used a sophisticated network to smuggle immense amounts of fentanyl into our country. We know that every fentanyl pill can kill, but these defendants did not care about the widespread destruction they were causing.”
The 15-count indictment unsealed on February 8 charges various defendants in drug trafficking counts and a money laundering conspiracy.
Six defendants were apprehended in California’s Los Angeles and Inland Empire areas, with five of them arraigned, entering not guilty pleas, and set for trial on April 2, per the U.S. Department of Justice. Erick Roque Angeles was slated for arraignment in the United States District Court in Los Angeles, while the 10th defendant, Toniel Baez-Duarte, 33, from Apple Valley, was already in state custody.
The investigation centered on Carin Trucking, a San Diego-based company owned by Leyva, operating a fleet of six semi-trucks that frequently crossed the U.S.-Mexico border to transport suspected narcotics to Los Angeles. A warrant to search a phone seized during Carlos Espinoza’s arrest revealed that the drugs, including fake fentanyl pills, were concealed in fire extinguishers initially disguised as scrap metal, later repurposed into functional extinguishers.
These findings underscore the sophisticated methods employed by the smuggling operation, highlighting the use of legitimate businesses to facilitate illegal activities. The indictment sheds light on the extensive network involved in the transportation and distribution of illicit substances across state lines, emphasizing the collaborative efforts required to dismantle such criminal enterprises.