A member of the notorious Barrio Azteca gang has pleaded guilty to participating in a racketeering conspiracy that involved the murders of a U.S. Consulate employee and her husband in Mexico, as well as other violent crimes in the United States and Mexico.
Jesus Espino, 43, of El Paso, Texas, pleaded guilty on April 13, 2011, to participating in a racketeering conspiracy, which included the March 13, 2010, murders in Juarez, Mexico, of Leslie Ann Enriquez Catton, her husband Arthur Redelf, and Jorge Alberto Salcido Ceniceros, the husband of a U.S. Consulate employee.
The Barrio Azteca gang, which began in the late 1980s as a violent prison gang, has since expanded into a transnational criminal organization with a military-like command structure, including captains, lieutenants, sergeants, and soldiers. The gang has been involved in a host of criminal activities, including drug trafficking, extortion, money laundering, kidnapping, and murder.
According to the plea agreement, Jesus Espino will receive a 30-year prison term at sentencing. The sentencing date has not yet been set by the court.
The case against Jesus Espino is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Joseph A. Cooley of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section, Trial Attorney Brian Skaret of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Thirty-five members and associates of the Barrio Azteca gang, including Espino, were charged in a third superseding indictment unsealed in March 2011. The indictment included various counts of racketeering, murder, drug offenses, money laundering, and obstruction of justice.
Jesus Espino, whose full name is Jesus Espino, is a resident of El Paso, Texas. He was arrested and charged with participating in a racketeering conspiracy.
Related Federal Cases
- Eduardo Ravelo, Racketeering Conspiracy, Texas 2013 · North Carolina
- Juan Carlos Mejia, Conspiracy to Transport Aliens for Profit, Texas 2023 · Kansas
- Carlos Ramirez, Conspiracy to Traffic Controlled Substances, Texas 2025 · Colorado
- Armando Jesus Hernandez Leal, Investment Misappropriation, Texas 2005 · Kansas
- Jesus Christian Martinez, Conspiracy with Intent to Distribute, Louisiana 2015 · Louisiana
Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Category: Organized Crime|Drug Trafficking|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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