U.S. Arrests 429 People in Drug Sweep

By Jeralyn, Section Crime in the News
Posted on Thu Jun 10, 2010 at 02:01:16 PM EST
Tags: cartels (all tags)

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Project Deliverance continues -- Attorney General Eric Holder announced the arrest of 429 people yesterday in a drug sweep. That brings the total number arrested to 2,200.

Yesterday, 429 individuals in 16 states were arrested as part of Project Deliverance, which targeted the transportation infrastructure of Mexican drug trafficking organizations in the United States, especially along the Southwest border, through coordination between federal, state and local law enforcement. More than 3,000 agents and officers operated across the United States to make yesterday's arrests. During yesterday's enforcement action, $5.8 million in U.S. currency, 2,951 pounds of marijuana, 112 kilograms of cocaine, 17 pounds of methamphetamine, 141 weapons and 85 vehicles were seized by law enforcement agents.

[More...]

In a coordinated action, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on June 9, 2010, named two individuals and two entities linked to the international drug trafficking organization La Familia Michoacana as Specially Designated Narcotics Traffickers. This action targeted Wenceslao Álvarez Álvarez, aka Wencho, his frontman Ignacio Mejia Gutierrez and two entities, Mega Empacadora de Frutas, S.A. de C.V. and I mportaciones y Exportaciones Nobaro , S.A. de C.V. Under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act, any assets these individuals or entities may have under U.S. jurisdiction are frozen. In addition, U.S. persons are prohibited from conducting financial or commercial transactions with the designees.

DEA press release here.

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U.S. Arrests 429 People in Drug Sweep | 50 comments (50 topical)

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Project Deliverance? (5.00 / 1) (#10)
by squeaky on Thu Jun 10, 2010 at 03:34:18 PM EST

Wow, wonder who came up with that name. Wonder who the hillbillies are?

First thing I thought (5.00 / 1) (#17)
by SeeEmDee on Thu Jun 10, 2010 at 03:49:21 PM EST

And who got to 'squeal like a pig'? Figuratively speaking, the US taxpayers, for one. We foot the bill for continuing this pointless prohibition.


lol... (5.00 / 1) (#18)
by kdog on Thu Jun 10, 2010 at 03:50:04 PM EST

not sure, but I'm confident that we're Ned Beatty:)


: and me Burt (none / 0) (#23)
by jimakaPPJ on Thu Jun 10, 2010 at 04:22:54 PM EST

lol

And the next day (none / 0) (#1)
by SeeEmDee on Thu Jun 10, 2010 at 02:23:49 PM EST

It was business as usual. Not a thing changed except the old players were benched and the new ones promoted.

How many times does this has to happen before someone in authority says we can't afford this anymore?

Now how did they find so many Mexican (none / 0) (#2)
by MyLeftMind on Thu Jun 10, 2010 at 02:49:57 PM EST

drug traffickers? According to this and other liberal blogs, crime in border states is waaayyyy down and drug trafficking is really not a problem anymore in border states.

Open up our borders! </snark>

I'd hate to see (2.00 / 1) (#8)
by jondee on Thu Jun 10, 2010 at 03:32:31 PM EST

what your RightMind is like..<snark>


Being left wing doesn't (5.00 / 1) (#21)
by MyLeftMind on Thu Jun 10, 2010 at 04:12:45 PM EST

have to equate to being gullible. Allowing millions of illegal aliens to live here is counterproductive and not fair to those who are willing to abide by the rules and wait their turn. If we want to have open borders, then let's at least stop paying for the federal immigration service. What a waste of taxpayer resources, preventing some people from entering but ignoring millions of others, simply because both Parties are vying for the Hispanic voting block.

If we want to solve the problems caused by illegal aliens, we need to stop giving them incentive to break the law by coming here:

Establish that the Fourteenth Amendment does NOT give citizenship to babies of illegal aliens. Eliminate the "anchor baby" benefit to breaking the law.
Put employers who hire illegal aliens in jail and confiscate their assets the way we take cars and homes and factories from drug dealers. Rich, unethical employers won't risk jail time and loss of their investments.
Increase the penalty for illegal immigration.
Reward those who abide by immigration law.
Require states to assist the federal government in identifying and deporting all criminals who are here illegally.

Being left wing doesn't mean we need to let people take advantage of us.


Don't mind squeaky (none / 0) (#24)
by jimakaPPJ on Thu Jun 10, 2010 at 04:25:50 PM EST

Whenever he finds a liberal who doesn't toe his line he gets grouchy.....


Yes (none / 0) (#26)
by squeaky on Thu Jun 10, 2010 at 04:46:44 PM EST

A liberal just like ppj... good one! You do have a sense of humor, that is a fact. Which is no small thing, imo.


There are no moderate liberals.. (none / 0) (#39)
by jondee on Fri Jun 11, 2010 at 11:03:07 AM EST

: There are some social liberals. (none / 0) (#49)
by jimakaPPJ on Fri Jun 11, 2010 at 10:18:03 PM EST

What I find appalling (none / 0) (#40)
by jondee on Fri Jun 11, 2010 at 11:10:07 AM EST

is this begrudging of desperate people basically seeking a crust of bread on the part of we-the-Chosen-People: who've colonized 2/3 of the planet and been propping up hedge fund managers, bankers and crooked defense contractors as if they were sacred bulls from the Temple of Shiva and absolutely integral to the well being of all of us..

This I see as just more whacking at the low hanging fruit and succumbing to some cull-the-herd instinct on the part of small minded bullies; who continue to reverence too-big-to-fail shysters in the hopes that they may be one some day..


: One of the major failings of the left (none / 0) (#50)
by MyLeftMind on Mon Jun 14, 2010 at 10:59:59 AM EST

is that in an attempt to be nice people, we create and perpetuate foolish policies. Intergenerational welfare is a classic example of social programs implemented to help people that result in an expansion of the problem. We encourage deliberate self impoverishment and lack of personal responsibility, which results in a thousand fold increase in need.
Wanting the federal government to ignore illegal aliens for years is another foolish attempt to help people. We care for those less fortunate than ourselves, so we're willing to overlook how our actions actually perpetuate the social and political problems leading to this crisis. By forcing the US public to pay for millions Mexico's poor, we are helping Mexico's elite continue its severe oppression of its poorest citizens. This dynamic also suppresses wages for our working and middle class citizens. It also creates hostility in states that have to foot the bill for millions of illegal aliens, which is a ready made wedge issue for the right.
All in all, allowing millions of illegal aliens to live and work in this country is bad public policy, detrimental to our progressive agenda, and bad for Mexico's poor that are left behind.

I least we dont have (none / 0) (#41)
by jondee on Fri Jun 11, 2010 at 11:12:46 AM EST

to let poor people "take advantage of us" and beneficent good nature..


: ..our beneficent, good nature (none / 0) (#44)
by jondee on Fri Jun 11, 2010 at 11:22:46 AM EST

Another Social Liberal (none / 0) (#22)
by squeaky on Thu Jun 10, 2010 at 04:16:42 PM EST

BTW- Undoubtably the brain hemispheres switch political affiliations, ergo leftmind...


i believe (hey, i could be wrong!), (none / 0) (#38)
by cpinva on Fri Jun 11, 2010 at 04:19:32 AM EST

his moniker actually means, "my mind left), sort of an anagram.


actually (none / 0) (#3)
by CST on Thu Jun 10, 2010 at 02:59:10 PM EST

nothing in this report says that those people were Mexican. Although nothing says they weren't, I imagine some were and some weren't - but nice assumption there.

The "head honcho", so to speak, Castro-Rocha was arrested by Mexican Authorities - so I assume he was arrested in Mexico.


It's also worth asking (5.00 / 0) (#6)
by jondee on Thu Jun 10, 2010 at 03:29:47 PM EST

once in a while, why it is that so many Americans cant seem to make it through the day without self-medicating (and medicating others, including their own children at an alarming rate), if this really is -- as the constant refrain from planet wingnut tells us -- the greatest, most wonderfullest nation that the good Lord ever smiled down upon (praise Jesus!)

The intense need is obviously there, and if those treacherous, swarthy boogie men coming across that "Open Border" aren't there to fill the need, someone else will.

it's not like (5.00 / 0) (#7)
by CST on Thu Jun 10, 2010 at 03:32:25 PM EST

it has ever been hard to get drugs in this country, or they ever really go away.

I guess it might be one of those "stealing our jobs selling drugs" things. But somehow I doubt that's what they're getting at...


No jobs stolen... (none / 0) (#12)
by kdog on Thu Jun 10, 2010 at 03:41:22 PM EST

like many other sectors, plenty of jobs in resale within our borders. Most everything gets sold 3-6 times before it reaches end user...that's why unemployment is only around 10% and not 30%:)

And whaddya mean there will be no problem getting drugs...we just turned the corner in the war with Operation Deliverance...victory is assured! LOL


Went to a county Tea Party meeting (none / 0) (#25)
by jimakaPPJ on Thu Jun 10, 2010 at 04:30:16 PM EST

Tuesday night... Actually heard people say things like we need to rethink the war on drugs....

There is no real support for the "War on Drugs." If Obama wanted he could score bug time by cleaning the mess up..

And no, it won't reduce usage. Only individuals can do that.


Really? (5.00 / 1) (#28)
by squeaky on Thu Jun 10, 2010 at 05:17:04 PM EST

Well none of the Politicians affiliated with the tea parties are calling for legalization.

Wonder why?

Now if the GOP pols want to make the WOD on drugs an Obama issue that they were staunchly against, I would join that parade.

Not holding my breath.


The Tea Parties are independent (none / 0) (#33)
by jimakaPPJ on Thu Jun 10, 2010 at 11:37:49 PM EST

study and learn somethings.


Bwahahahahahaha (none / 0) (#34)
by squeaky on Thu Jun 10, 2010 at 11:50:35 PM EST

Independent from what, every mainstream GOP idea that is in current circulation?

Sarah Palin?
Rick Santelli
Fox News
Michelle Malkin
Rush Limbaugh
Drudge Report
Freedomworks
Dick Armey
Newt Gingrich
Rick Perry
Tom Price
The Heritage Foundation

Independent from Democrats is about all.


now i know who's (none / 0) (#35)
by cpinva on Fri Jun 11, 2010 at 04:10:44 AM EST

The Tea Parties are independent
study and learn somethings.

on hallucinogens.


: Heh (none / 0) (#48)
by jimakaPPJ on Fri Jun 11, 2010 at 10:15:46 PM EST

You don't.
On the other hand, I have been convinced about you for sometime now.

And not morans.. (none / 0) (#42)
by jondee on Fri Jun 11, 2010 at 11:13:55 AM EST

who dont talk good..


I just listened to (none / 0) (#13)
by jondee on Thu Jun 10, 2010 at 03:41:37 PM EST

one of those "they come here and automatically get welfare" diatribes yesterday from one of those Teabag brains..

This seems to be yet another one of those historical junctures when certain folks seem to be savoring the nostalgic feeling of having their knuckles scraping the ground for the first time in 50,000 years..

All it took was a few Tea Parties, a bad economy and an orchestrated kick-down-not-up media campaign to give it some impetus.


It's interesting that you assume (5.00 / 2) (#27)
by MyLeftMind on Thu Jun 10, 2010 at 05:08:07 PM EST

people are knuckle dragging Neanderthals if they want more reasonable federal policies that prevent foreigners from accessing our resources. I think that liberals who want to prioritize Mexican illegal aliens over potential immigrants from all other countries, including other Mexicans willing to abide by the rules, are just being naïve. When the left supports foolish policies, such as allowing the federal government to ignore millions of illegal aliens, moderates dump our Democratic candidates in disgust.

I used to work for a travel agency that marketed "maternity tourism" to Asians, encouraging them to come here to have babies so their kids would be American citizens. We simply told them the FACTS about the benefits of having a child born on American soil, including priority in college acceptance and free college financial aid, even if they raised their children back in their country of origin. We used testimony from other women who had deliberately had children here so the kids could eventually sponsor their parents and other relatives to become citizens ahead of other people waiting to immigrate.

Allowing birthright citizenship is a huge mistake, especially in this day and age or easy travel between countries. The Fourteenth Amendment was designed to give citizenship to children of slaves newly freed by the 13th Amendment; it wasn't designed to provide an incentive for people to bypass immigration controls. Right now, if a woman sneaks across the border and has a baby, the US citizens can be saddled with the cost of the childbirth, and that "instant citizen" is entitled to all of our social programs that we pay for with taxes, such as welfare, federal Section 8 housing, Medicaid, Medicare, ObamaCare, social security disability and more. If the parents are deported or put their kid with another family, public money for foster care can be paid to relatives even if the mom and dad are still living with their kid. Parents can (and do) demand that their kids be educated in Spanish instead of English, which costs the public even more, and the kids can even get free college if the parents get their kids into the foster care system. Illegal aliens can get all this for their kids, even if they've never paid a dime into the system.

You'll always find some people who are abusive about other groups of people, and the worst offenders will use the AZ bill in abusive ways. But many of Arizona's citizens just want to stop footing the bill for the federal government's refusal to prevent illegal aliens from taking our nation's resources. Other states will soon have their own immigration laws. It shouldn't have come to this. We should have dealt with the problems of illegal immigration years ago. But because many on the left want to "help people," they naively think that we should help the law breaking illegal aliens instead of the starving kids still stuck in foreign countries.


I'm a very torn Arizona progressive. (5.00 / 2) (#30)
by trog69 on Thu Jun 10, 2010 at 08:48:11 PM EST

I realize that the Az. legislature is a mindless mass of business-friendly wingnuts and white supremacists, and that HB 1070 was co-written by two racist knuckledraggers, but we are becoming fearful in S. Arizona. We are witnessing a huge upheaval in Northern Mexico, and a lot of innocent people are being systematically slaughtered by the narco-bandits, and the bandits are being protected by the utterly corrupt Mexican Armed Forces. These killers think nothing of going across the border to fulfill whatever vendettas are involved.

Is the threat over-blown? Perhaps for Tucson-proper, right now, but I live 40 miles South of Tucson, and we have illegal immigrants walking through the desert here every day, and the US population is expanding South-ward. Eventually, there is going to be shoot-outs and confrontations right outside our yards. It's inevitable in such a dire job market. If they can only make money as drug-mules, that's what they'll do. And if we legalize Marihoochy, which I support, the mules will just be loaded with coca, and that will mean bigger payouts and more guns to protect the shipments. And I doubt very seriously if the American people are ready to legalize cocaine products any time soon.

I'm not so sure that "using our resources" is an argument I'd support. I mean, the average illegal construction worker gets paid on his fake SS#, so the taxes paid to/tied to that account are not eligible to be collected. Thus, they pay a great portion of taxes that will not be used for their benefit, unless they're hurt on the job so badly that they can't work at all, otherwise they'll shut up, bandage the cuts, and hope it doesn't get infected, because they need the money more than the hospital care. While there are pregnant illegals who come to exploit our now ill-advised citizenship requirements, the vast majority of illegals in this country are young to middle-aged men working for low-wages, and sending a good portion of that meager amount back to their home countries, which directly benefits the poorest in those countries.

And as a union retiree, I admit to being struggling mightily on this issue.


: Federal law already allows illegal immigrants (none / 0) (#47)
by MyLeftMind on Fri Jun 11, 2010 at 01:10:56 PM EST

to get credit toward Social Security benefits from work they did before becoming legal.
As far as helping poor people in other countries, a legal guest worker can send the same amount of money back to their families as an illegal alien can. The advantage of preventing employers from hiring illegal aliens is that the employer would be paying for their Worker's Comp, which means the public doesn't have to foot the bill for the employer's cheating with illegal immigrants.
Besides, if we truly want to help the downtrodden in other countries, letting them come and work here illegally is not the solution. Eliminating NAFTA and supporting sustainable business practices in Mexico and other countries would be much more effective. Allowing millions of illegal aliens to come and work here is bad public policy and gives the right wing a huge wedge issue to rally their base.

let me break the (non) news (none / 0) (#36)
by cpinva on Fri Jun 11, 2010 at 04:14:20 AM EST

to you once again, for those of you on drugs:

illegal immigrants are not eligible for federal, state or local benefits.

with the exception of emergency medical care, as anyone is eligible for.

write that down on an index card, carry it with you, and anytime you feel the urge to blurt out something stupid, take it out and read it first.


: Are you suggesting (5.00 / 1) (#45)
by sarcastic unnamed one on Fri Jun 11, 2010 at 12:05:15 PM EST

that there are no illegal immigrants receiving such benefits?

: You misinterpreted my comment (none / 0) (#46)
by MyLeftMind on Fri Jun 11, 2010 at 12:47:13 PM EST

Illegal aliens who have babies on US soil can utilize ALL of our federal, state or local benefits because those children are "instant citizens." We can be forced to pay for the medical costs of the birth and the child's housing, food, healthcare, education, foster care and even college, all to the detriment of America's poor that need those public resources.
If an illegal immigrant's baby has a disability, it's immediately eligible for monthly Social Security payments for its entire life. As an adult, the child can sponsor relatives to immigrate ahead of others waiting on the list. Even without these "anchor babies," illegal aliens receive services from organizations that are supported by tax money, draining our resources in public education and other tax supported areas.
The real question is why are liberals so eager to support those who break the law to come here to the detriment of those who are already US citizens, and prioritized over those who don't break the law to come to this country. If you care about poor Mexicans, why are you helping the starving kids stuck in Mexico instead of the freeloaders living here? Yes, being the child of parent's who snuck into the country and then living off the public is freeloading, and our country can't afford to spend money that way anymore.

Is self-medication a singular trait of Americans? (none / 0) (#11)
by sarcastic unnamed one on Thu Jun 10, 2010 at 03:38:00 PM EST

The US is around 40th in the world ranking of alc consumption...


Cocaine and meth, where are we? (none / 0) (#15)
by jondee on Thu Jun 10, 2010 at 03:46:19 PM EST

Also we're medicating kids at four times the rate they do in Western European countries, last time I looked.


No arguments, (none / 0) (#20)
by sarcastic unnamed one on Thu Jun 10, 2010 at 04:08:53 PM EST

just not convinced that self-medication, as a whole, is singularly an American trait...


: Certainly not (none / 0) (#29)
by jondee on Thu Jun 10, 2010 at 05:42:20 PM EST

just an American trait.

It's a trait of human beings... (none / 0) (#16)
by kdog on Thu Jun 10, 2010 at 03:46:57 PM EST

since the first time they stood upright and accidentally brewed something, or threw the pretty green weeds on the fire in the cave.

Maybe it just seems to be on the rise because of all the new pharmie options to self-medicate with.


yeah, we're kind of (none / 0) (#37)
by cpinva on Fri Jun 11, 2010 at 04:15:20 AM EST

slackers, when it comes to alcohol. maybe we need a national program or something? :)


: The one drug with (none / 0) (#43)
by jondee on Fri Jun 11, 2010 at 11:21:12 AM EST

the most solid track record for turning people into as*holes, and it's the only one that's legal..

Mexican authorities arrested Carlos Ramon (none / 0) (#4)
by sarcastic unnamed one on Thu Jun 10, 2010 at 03:05:50 PM EST

Mexican authorities arrested Carlos Ramon Castro-Rocha, 36, of Sinaloa, Mexico, on May 30 on a provisional arrest warrant issued out of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina at Charlotte, NC.
At present, Castro-Rocha remains in custody in Mexico, and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of North Carolina is in the process of seeking his extradition to the United States.

yes (5.00 / 0) (#5)
by CST on Thu Jun 10, 2010 at 03:14:25 PM EST

so he was arrested in Mexico, based on a warrant issued out of North Carolina.

Does not say what the warrant was for.

But nevertheless, I still doubt all those arrested were Mexican. And yet all the outrage seems to be solely directed there. What about the people in the United States?

Not sure how immigration is the culprit here.

Yes, your previous point about more people = more crime may be true. But that, to me, is not a valid reason to close our borders. We may as well argue for banning reproduction.


The warrant is for heroin trafficking. (none / 0) (#9)
by sarcastic unnamed one on Thu Jun 10, 2010 at 03:34:11 PM EST

I was not suggesting - at all - that all those arrested were Mexican.

I was merely responding with info regarding Castro-Rocha's arrest. Nothing more.

In fact, here's who got arrested in Syracuse. Not an obvious Mexican citizen in the bunch:

U.S. Attorney Richard Hartunian announced the arrests Thursday at a news conference. Those charged were (all are from Syracuse except where noted):

Mark Caesar, 30, Newark, N.J.

Dwayne Body, 24, Newark, N.J.

Keyfa Sampson, 28

Lonnie Spruiel, 27

Darnell Washington, 37

Derrick Campbell, 35

Darleen Sampson, 47

Alphonso Ray, 31

Shaquail Harris, 18

Fabrice Lowe, 29

Geneva Brown, 52

Salaam Brown, 27

David Lopez, 35, New York, New York

Tito Cuadra, 42

Warren Lewter, 28

Fateen Smith, 30

Starfaysia Perry, 21

not referring to you (none / 0) (#14)
by CST on Thu Jun 10, 2010 at 03:44:19 PM EST

mostly just venting in general.

Interesting list. Older than I'd expect actually.


Fair enough. (none / 0) (#19)
by sarcastic unnamed one on Thu Jun 10, 2010 at 04:05:44 PM EST

The Texas arrestees have mostly Spanish-type names, no indication of their citizenship or immigration status.

Although, here is the AZ list, again not a Mexican-sounding person in the bunch...

Here is a list of those indicted, both in Arizona and locally:
Salvador Rocha Linan, 33, Tucson, AZ;
Edwardo Armando Wilson, 38, Tucson, AZ;
Emmanuel Gathrite, 30, Tucson, AZ;
David Ingram Henderson, 36, Maryland Heights, MO.;
Corey T. Franklin, 33, Florissant, MO;
Nicholas Lamar Bates, 28, Florissant, MO;
Eddie Charles Mackey, Jr., 32, St. Louis, MO;
Ricco Perez Johnson, 35, Oklahoma City, OK;
Frederic Lamont Caldwell, 41, St. Louis, MO;
Tommy Lee Tolliver, 29, St. Louis, MO;
Stanley Christopher Bates, 30, St. Louis, MO;
Sean Ryan McQuiller, 30, St. Louis, MO;
Jesse James Nelson, 27, O'Fallon,MO.;
Cornell Roland Allen, 35, St. Louis, MO.;
Justin Strain, 30, Foristell, MO;
Askia Ingram, 33, Florissant, MO;
Michael David Harris, 28, Tucson, AZ;
John Gaddy, 27, St. Louis, MO.;
Steven Phillips, 24, St. Louis, MO.;
Bryant Hancock, 28, St. Louis, MO.;
Kiesha Tamia Givens, 31, St. Louis, MO.;
Brittany Dorine Cornell, 27, Florissant, MO.;
April Dionne Fultz, 28, St. Louis, MO;
Latonya Trenee Moore, 25, St. Charles, MO.

: Why do you have to post the facts? (none / 0) (#31)
by mexboy on Thu Jun 10, 2010 at 08:48:23 PM EST

It's so much more fun to bash the Mexicans! Darn it!

Is the a single list somewhere (none / 0) (#32)
by Peter G on Thu Jun 10, 2010 at 10:05:32 PM EST

of all the cities where arrests were made today, and how many in each? If so, I can't seem to find it.
