Flaco’s Meth Ring Hits Nine in North Dakota

FARGO – United States Attorney Mac Schneider dropped a bombshell, announcing the indictment of nine defendants in North Dakota for their roles in an international drug trafficking conspiracy. The group, led by Jesus Amurahaby Celestin-Ortega, alias Flaco, 26, is accused of importing and distributing massive quantities of methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl.

Court documents reveal that Flaco has been operating since January 2022 from a federal prison in Colorado. Incarcerated for unrelated drug and firearm charges, he allegedly used contraband cellphones to import over 500 grams of meth, more than one kilogram of heroin, and over 400 grams of fentanyl.

Flaco’s ring spans multiple states, including North Dakota, Minnesota, California, Colorado, Georgia, Missouri, Texas, Arizona, and beyond. The indictment also alleges that the proceeds from this drug trade were laundered back to Mexico.

The defendants include Trinidad Torres Meraz, 58, Riverside, CA; Edgar Hernandez, a/k/a Ivan Edgar Hernandez Vasquez, 43; Maria De La Cruz Estrada Moreno, 40, El Paso, TX; Jesse Rocha, 25, Denver, CO; Rafael Bueno-Nava, 49, Fridley, MN; Ryan James Stevens, 41, Arvada, CO; Christan Ivan Gonzalez, 31, Phoenix, AZ; and Martina Lucia Mendez, 26, Gilbert, AZ.

Celestin-Ortega and six others are in custody. Hernandez and Mendez remain at large. If convicted, they face life sentences for drug distribution and importation, and up to 20 years for money laundering.

This operation is part of Operation Wedding Day Blues, a multi-agency effort to dismantle high-level drug traffickers. The Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) has played a pivotal role in this investigation.

An Indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.