Trio jailed for money-laundering horse scheme
Lengthy jail damage cause got been imposed on iii men involvrf inward a complex system to wash millions of dollars inward Mexican drug cash through a substantial quarter-horse operation.
In Austin, Tesas, on Thursday, the three, including Jose Trevino Morales, the blood brother of purported Los Zetas leaders Miguel Trevino Morales (also known every bit “40”) together with Oscar Omar Trevino Morales (known every bit “42”), were jailed for their roles inward the conspiracy to wash illicit Los Zetas drug trafficking proceeds.
They did together with thus through buying, training, breeding, together with racing American quarter horses inward the United States, said announced USA Attorney Robert Pitman. , FBI Special Agent inward Charge Armando Fernandez, Richard Weber, Chief, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation together with DEA Special Agent inward Charge Javier Pena.
United States District Judge Sam Sparks sentenced Jose Trevino Morales, 46, of Balch Springs, Texas, together with Francisco Colorado Cessa, 52, of Veracruz, each to 240 months inward federal prison, followed past times iii years of supervised release.
Judge Sparks besides sentenced Fernando Solis Garcia, a 30-year-old Equus caballus trainer together with purchasing agent from Ruidoso, New Mexico,, to 160 months inward federal prison theatre followed past times iii years of supervised release. Judge Sparks besides remanded Garcia into federal custody next today’s hearing.
“The activities of Mexican drug cartels cause got taken a terrible cost inside Mexico,” Pitman said.
“This prosecution together with the sentences imposed today should mail a clear message to those who would endeavour to import their build of corruption together with violence into the United States. We volition notice you, nosotros volition prosecute you lot together with nosotros volition essay the virtually severe consequences the police pull allows.”
On May 9, a federal jury convicted the trio, along with Eusevio Maldonado Huitron of ane count of conspiracy to commit coin laundering.
Evidence presented during the trial revealed that Los Zetas is a powerful drug cartel based inward United Mexican States together with generate multi-million dollar revenues from drug trafficking.
Since 2008, Miguel together with Oscar Trevino Morales would straight portions of the volume cash generated from the sale of illegal narcotics to Jose Trevino together with his wife, 39-year-old Zulema Trevino, for purchasing, training, breeding together with racing American quarter horses inward the United States.
Testimony besides revealed a musical rhythm out game past times the defendants involving straw purchasers together with transactions worth millions of dollars inward New Mexico, Oklahoma, California together with Texas to disguise the origin drug coin together with build the proceeds from the sale of quarter horses or their race winnings look legitimate.
Furthermore, the defendants implemented a system to construction cash deposits inward amounts nether $US10,000 inward guild to circumvent mandatory banking company reporting requirements.
FBI Special Agent inward Charge Armando Fernandez said: “Today’s sentencing marks the successful culmination to a complex, intensive investigation where the FBI, working together with US Attorney’s Office together with our police pull enforcement partners, has demonstrated the mightiness to dismantle the fiscal arm of a vehement together with ruthless drug cartel which has attempted to influence together with command legitimate U.S. enterprises together with threatened the security of our community.
Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent inward Charge Javier Peña said his means was satisfied with the sentencings.
“Each judgement handed out represents the relentless difficult run together with unyielding dedication DEA together with its counterparts utilized to choose the defendants to justice.”
Over 400 quarter horses, seized past times federal authorities inward June 2012 every bit business office of the coin laundering operation, cause got been sold for or together with thus $US9 million.
Most of the horses were sold at Heritage Place Auction Facility inward Oklahoma City, Oklahoma inward the past times year, including Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Dash of Sweet Heat, which sold for $US1 million.
About 100 broodmares were sold prior to auction for or together with thus $US35,000.
The federal authorities withal retains possession of 5 quarter horses, including Tempting Dash, winner of the Dash for Cash at Lone Star Park race runway inward Grand Prairie, Texas, on Oct 24, 2009; Mr Piloto, $1 1000000 All American Futurity winner at Ruidoso Downs on Labor Day 2010; Dashin Follies; Separate Fire; Y516, a yearling seized inward Lexington, OK; together with iv embryos transferred from donor mares, Dashin Follies together with Separate Fire.
Pitman noted that the proceeds from the sale of the quarter horses are beingness held inward escrow pending the resolution of a forfeiture action.
The Government besides seeks the forfeiture of existent estate inward Lexington, Oklahoma; farm together with ranch equipment located at that site; together with funds contained inward multiple banking company accounts allegedly used inward the defendants’ scheme.
The Government besides seeks a monetary judgment for $US60 million, representing holding involved inward together with derived from the conspiracy.
Inland Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation principal Richard Weber described the sentencing every bit a decisive blow against Los Zetas’ drug trafficking together with money-laundering network.
“It besides sends a clear message to those who endeavour to cover their ill-gotten gains through investment inward legitimate businesses,” he said.
“All fiscal transactions larn out a trail together with nosotros cause got the unique expertise to follow those leads.
“The exceptional agents of IRS Criminal Investigation are committed to taking the turn a profit away from drug traffickers together with putting those individuals inward jail. IRS Criminal Investigation was proud to furnish this fiscal expertise every bit nosotros worked with our police pull enforcement partners together with choose these savage criminals to justice.”
Authorities dice along to essay the apprehension of vii co-defendants inward this illustration including purported leaders of the Los Zetas, Miguel Trevino Morales (known every bit “40”) together with his brother, 39-year-old Oscar Trevino Morales (known every bit “42”), every bit good every bit 32–year-old Victor Manuel Lopez, 41-year-old Sergio Guerrero Rincon, 41-year-old Luis Gerardo Aguirre, Erick Jovan Lozano Diaz together with Gerardo Garza Quintero.
Miguel Trevino Morales was apprehended inward United Mexican States terminal month.
In a statement, the US Drug Enforcement Agency welcomed the arrest together with praised Mexican authorities police pull enforcement.
“Treviño Morales is of ane of the virtually meaning Mexican cartel leaders to hold upward apprehended inward several years together with DEA volition dice along to back upward the Government of United Mexican States every bit it forges ahead inward disrupting together with dismantling drug trafficking organisations,” it said.
The investigation was conducted past times agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation together with the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the USA Marshals Service, Immigration together with Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) together with U.S. Customs together with Border Patrol, every bit good every bit local police pull enforcement agents inward Irving, TX, Lorena, TX, Bruceville-Eddy, TX, Fort Worth, TX together with Laredo, TX. The investigation received assistance from the Texas Army National Guard, Cleveland County (OK) Sheriff’s Office, together with the Oklahoma together with New United Mexican States Racing Commissions. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas prosecuted several members of the Los Zetas drug cartel on drug trafficking charges related to this conspiracy together with provided substantial assistance to this investigation. The US Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) provided assistance with the forfeiture activity inward this case.
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