CHICAGO - The last remaining defendants in an international drug trafficking investigation have been found guilty of multiple drug trafficking charges by a federal jury in Chicago.
Evidence at trial revealed that between May 2016 and August 2017 ANTONIO CARRAZCO-MARTINEZ, 42, of Fort Valley, Georgia, also known as “El B," JUAN MANUEL BARENAS-REYNOSO, 47, of Chicago, also known as “Chingon," and NICOLASA BENITEZ DENOVA, 30, of Paige, Texas, also known as “Lio," conspired with others to traffic cocaine and heroin from Mexico to the Chicago area. Carrazco-Martinez, who was alleged to have been the leader of the group’s Chicago operations, was found guilty of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine and 1 kilogram of heroin, as well as possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. Barenas-Reynoso and Benitez-Denova, who were alleged to have courier-related roles, were found guilty of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine, as well as possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. Benitez-Denova was also found guilty of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute 1 kilogram of heroin. Barenas-Reynoso was acquitted of an additional count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
Throughout the multi-year investigation, an additional ten defendants were charged:
* Pablo Anibal Vazquez-Duarte, also known as “Compa", “Topo", and “Troncan", who is alleged to be the group’s leader in Mexico and remains a fugitive, was charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine and 1 kilogram of heroin, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, and distribution of a controlled substance.
* Leonardo Alfaro-Sandoval, 35, of Michoacan, Mexico, who remains a fugitive, was charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine and 1 kilogram of heroin, and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
* Ricardo Diaz-Deleon, 34, of Nueva Leon, Mexico, also known as “Diablo", who remains a fugitive, was charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine and 1 kilogram of heroin, and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
* Scott London Johnson, 36, of Taylor, Texas, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine on July 12, 2022.
* Melchor Cardenas, 30, of San Jose, California, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine and 1 kilogram of heroin.
* Fermin Campos, 41, of Bolingbrook, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine and 1 kilogram of heroin. He was sentenced to 56 months’ imprisonment by U.S. District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman on Feb. 24, 2022.
* J’Anthony Lara, 25, of Austin, Texas, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine and 1 kilogram of heroin. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman on Oct. 11, 2023.
* Oscar Martinez-Galvan, 25, of Austin Texas, was charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine and 1 kilogram of heroin, and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. His charges were dismissed pursuant to a pretrial diversion agreement on July 29, 2021.
* Ignacio Cordova, 51, of Chicago, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine and 1 kilogram of heroin. He was sentenced to 42 months’ imprisonment by U.S. District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman on June 4, 2021.
* Clyde Ford, 61, of Ypsilanti, Michigan, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine. He was sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment by U.S. District Judge John R. Blakey on Aug. 16, 2022.
The verdicts were announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Sheila G. Lyons, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration. Substantial assistance was provided by the Chicago Police Department, Illinois State Police, Waukegan Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations Chicago, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations Chicago. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Erskine, Alejandro Ortega, and Kirsten Moran.
The investigation was conducted under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program, a partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The principal mission of OCDETF is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, and money laundering organizations.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys