Horse farm made a small fortune – but it was drugs cash
By all appearances, Oklahoma farm possessor Jose Trevino Morales bought American quarter horses to train, breed, as well as race.
But Trevino, the blood brother of 2 leaders of the tearing as well as powerful Mexican drug cartel Los Zetas, was non only inwards the Equus caballus business: He was using the farm equally a front end to wash millions of dollars of the cartel’s illicit profits.
A three-year FBI-led investigation resulted inwards convictions of late inwards federal courtroom against Trevino as well as 3 others for conspiracy to commit coin laundering.
The example was pregnant because it revealed the accomplish as well as influence of Los Zetas inwards the US — as well as likewise revealed the effectiveness of American investigators inwards targeting the cartel’s leaders.
“Core identify unit of measurement members of the cartel as well as fundamental concern partners were impacted yesteryear this case,” said Special Agent David Villarreal, who supervised the investigation from the FBI’s Laredo, Texas agency.
“The FBI is targeting the highest echelons of the cartel’s leadership, as well as that sends a rigid message non solely to the cartel but to the people who are laundering their coin on the American side of the border.”
The probe, conducted through the Department of Justice-run Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force program, showed that, since 2008, Trevino as well as his associates bought as well as sold racehorses amongst Los Zetas drug coin using vanquish companies as well as front end men.
Testimony during the trial revealed that, during a 30-month period, the defendants spent $US16 i grand m inwards New Mexico, Oklahoma, California, as well as Texas on the Equus caballus farm operation.
US Attorney Robert Pitman, who prosecuted the case, said later the trial: “The authorities was able to demo how the corrupting influence of drug cartels has extended into the US amongst cartel bosses using an otherwise legitimate domestic manufacture to wash proceeds from drug trafficking as well as other crimes.”
Investigators traced upwards of $US22 i grand m that was laundered as well as shipped dorsum to Mexico, Villarreal said. “And that was only a slice of the performance that nosotros used equally a snapshot to examine our example inwards court.”
Villarreal believes that dismantling the Equus caballus farm performance volition hamper the cartel’s might to wash money, as well as that, inwards turn, volition assist trammel its US operations.
As purpose of the case, the authorities seized 455 horses as well as volition attempt a judgment inwards an upcoming civil trial that volition include forfeitures of cash, US existent estate, as well as 3 jets that could total to a greater extent than than $US70 million.
In Laredo, on the South Texas border, “the Zetas are the top dog criminal threat, responsible for most of the violence, kidnappings, human as well as drug smuggling, as well as related crime”, Villarreal says.
“Across the edge inwards Mexico, they choose bombed constabulary stations as well as assassinated numerous world officials.”
The cartel, he said, “has committed countless atrocities, as well as they are responsible for destabilizing the border.”
He added that everyone on the chore forcefulness — including the Internal Revenue Service, the US Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas, the Drug Enforcement Agency, as well as other federal, state, as well as local law enforcement means partners — worked difficult to cook the example against Trevino as well as his associates.
“Personally,” said Villarreal, who grew upwards inwards the region, “it is real rewarding to locomote able to convey judge to these ruthless people as well as to assist halt their US operations.”
Prosecutors got their convictions against the 4 early on inwards May, inwards the example inwards which they outlined how cash from the sale of drugs was laundered to buy, train, breed, as well as race American quarter horses.
Authorities described it equally a complex conspiracy.
Jurors convicted 46–year-old Trevino, of Balch Springs, Texas, who is the blood brother of purported Los Zetas leaders Miguel Trevino Morales (also known equally “40”) as well as Oscar Omar Trevino Morales (also known equally “42”). The jury likewise convicted 52-year-old Mexican homo of affairs Francisco Colorado Cessa, 30-year-old Equus caballus trainer as well as purchasing agent Fernando Solis Garcia, as well as 49-year-old Equus caballus trainer Eusevio Maldonado Huitron of i count of conspiracy to commit coin laundering.
Jurors acquitted Equus caballus trainer as well as habitation builder Jesus Maldonado Huitron, of Austin, of the money-laundering conspiracy charge.
United States Attorney Robert Pitman said the trial documented the violence, brutality, as well as corruption generated yesteryear Mexican drug cartels.
He continued: “The Department of Justice, the Treasury Department as well as all our federal, state, as well as local law enforcement partners are committed to drawing a line inwards the sand to forbid the Mexican cartels from importing their cook of tearing crime, corruption, as well as ruthlessness into the United States.”
Evidence presented during the 12-day trial revealed that Los Zetas were a powerful drug cartel based inwards United Mexican States that generated multi-million-dollar revenues from drug trafficking.
Since 2008, Miguel as well as Oscar Trevino Morales would straight portions of the volume cash generated from the sale of illegal narcotics to Jose Trevino as well as his wife, Zulema Trevino, for purchasing, training, breeding, as well as racing American quarter horses inwards the US.
Testimony likewise revealed a vanquish game yesteryear the defendants involving straw purchasers as well as transactions worth millions of dollars inwards New Mexico, Oklahoma, California, as well as Texas to disguise the beginning drug coin as well as cook the proceeds from the sale of quarter horses or their race winnings seem legitimate.
The defendants likewise implemented a system to construction cash deposits inwards amounts nether $US10,000 inwards social club to circumvent mandatory banking company reporting requirements.
“[The] verdict affirms the difficult operate as well as dedication of the FBI as well as our law enforcement partners inwards combating drug cartels as well as their attempts to influence as well as command legitimate enterprises. The FBI volition perish on to fight the efforts of organized criminal enterprises, including the Zetas, who would attempt to endanger our communities,” said FBI Special Agent inwards Charge Armando Fernandez.
Some of the to a greater extent than than 400 quarter horses seized yesteryear federal authorities inwards June equally purpose of the swoop choose been sold for almost $US9 million.
Most of the horses were sold at Heritage Place Auction Facility inwards Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, inwards the yesteryear year, including H5N1 Dash of Sweet Heat, who sold for $US1 million.
About 100 broodmares were sold earlier auction for $US35,000.
The federal authorities however retains possession of v quarter horses, including Tempting Dash, winner of the Dash for Cash at Lone Star Park race rail inwards Grand Prairie, Texas, on Oct 24, 2009; Mr. Piloto, $US1 i grand m All American Futurity winner at Ruidoso Downs on Labor Day, 2010; Dashin Follies; Separate Fire; as well as Y516, a yearling seized on Zule Farms inwards Lexington, Oklahoma.
The proceeds from the sale of the quarter horses are beingness held inwards trust pending the resolution of a forfeiture action.
The authorities is likewise seeking forfeiture of farm as well as ranch equipment; Equus caballus racing equipment; holding inwards Lexington, Oklahoma, as well as inwards Bastrop County, Texas; as well as funds contained inwards 3 banking company accounts allegedly used inwards the defendants’ scheme.
The authorities likewise seeks a monetary judgment inwards the amount of $60 million, representing the amount of coin derived from the conspiracy.
Authorities perish on to attempt the apprehension of vii co-defendants inwards this case: Miguel Trevino Morales as well as Oscar Trevino Morales, equally good equally 32–year-old Victor Manuel Lopez, Sergio Guerrero Rincon, 41-year-old Luis Gerardo Aguirre, Erick Jovan Lozano Diaz, as well as Gerardo Garza Quintero.
Several others who pleaded guilty to related offences are awaiting sentence.
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