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Release [print
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JAN 22 -- (El Paso, Texas) – The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), El Paso Field Division, announced the arrest of Javier Flores from El Paso, Texas, Danny Delgado from El Paso, Texas and Luis Melendez and Edgar Fernando Rubio both from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico pursuant to the seizure of 7028 pounds of marijuana on January 16, 2009. The Javier Flores Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO) was the source of supply for the Rafael Garcia DTO. Rafael Garcia and ten other individuals were arrested in May 2008, with the in conjunction with the seizure of 1603 pounds of marijuana. Since the arrest of Rafael Garcia the Javier Flores DTO has been the subject of a DEA Task Force investigation by the DEA, El Paso County Sheriff’s Office, El Paso Police Department, United States Border Patrol, United States Attorney’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The Flores DTO was predominantly involved in the illegal importation, bulk storage and transportation of large quantities of marijuana into the United States for Mexican drug cartels. The Flores DTO was responsible for transporting large quantities of marijuana to cities throughout the United States utilizing a furniture warehouse located in East El Paso, Texas as a front to conceal their drug operation. The 7028 lbs marijuana was secreted in numerous boxes labeled “wall tiles.” The marijuana seizure is one of the largest in El Paso , Texas in recent years. The estimated street value of this marijuana is $3 million dollars. These arrests were undertaken with the assistance of our law enforcement partners. The four defendants in this case appeared before the Honorable U.S. Magistrate, Norbert J. Garney in El Paso , Texas and were charged federally. The defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law |
