LA RABIA: Three men are facing federal charges for their roles in a conspiracy to purchase $500,000 worth of high-powered weapons on behalf of Cartel del Noreste (CDN), announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Luis Ramos, 43, of Rio Bravo, Texas, was taken into custody Tuesday, July 27. Manuel Perez-Ortiz, 39, a Mexican national, and Arturo Mata Jr., 55, of Rio Bravo, were previously arrested. They are expected to appear again in federal court on August 12.
A federal grand jury returned a five-count indictment on May 18, alleging that negotiations to purchase the high-powered weapons occurred in May 2020. The weapons allegedly included machine guns, grenades, military-style rifles, and rocket-propelled launchers.
According to the indictment, the plan was for the weapons to be purchased in the United States and then smuggled into Mexico, where those associated with CDN planned to use them in battles against rival cartels to further their drug smuggling activities.
CDN allegedly sent Perez-Ortiz to conduct the transaction in Laredo. Ramos and Mata allegedly drove Perez-Ortiz to and from the meetings discussing the exchange on June 19, 2020. Mata also allegedly assisted in providing counter-surveillance during the operation.
Law enforcement apprehended Ramos and Perez-Ortiz on June 19, 2020, and seized $500,000 at the time. The men are charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to export firearms to Mexico.
The investigation was part of the Blue Indigo task force and brought as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation dubbed Operation Noreste. The OCDETF is the largest anti-crime task force in the country.
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Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime|Weapons
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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