KNOXVILLE, TN – Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Knoxville, in collaboration with federal and local law enforcement, delivered a critical blow to cartel operations within the United States, announcing charges against five alleged top members of the Mexico-based Carteles Unidos (United Cartels).
The Justice Department issued a press release on August 14th detailing charges filed against five alleged “high-ranking members” of the United Cartels, a designated foreign terrorist organization accused of operating a “vast narcotics distribution network spanning the United States and beyond.”
Per the Justice Department’s release, the five individuals who’ve been charged with a variety of offenses linked to a “decades-long” operation of drug distribution and weapons-related charges were identified as Juan Jose Farias Alvarez, Alfonso Fernandez Magallon, Luis Enrique Barragan Chavez, Edgar Orozco Cabadas, and Nicolas Sierra Santana.
According to officials, all five of the named cartel leaders are active fugitives who are facing life in prison upon arrest and conviction, with the State Department offering collective rewards of up to $26 million for information leading to the arrests and convictions of the aforementioned fugitives.
HSI Nashville acting Special Agent in Charge Dennis M. Fetting shared a statement following the announced charges, saying, “This case is a direct result of the hard work and collaboration between HSI and our law enforcement partners. This extensive investigation highlights our unwavering commitment to protecting our country and communities from the dangers of illegal drug and weapons trafficking. We will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that these criminal organizations are disrupted and held accountable.”
ICE’s HSI outfits also collaborated with numerous law enforcement agencies during the investigation leading to the charges filed, including the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Fresno Field Division, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), as well as the Tennessee 9th Judicial Drug Task Force, among others.
U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III, who covers the Eastern District of Tennessee, issued a statement in light of the charges filed, citing the detrimental impacts caused by the likes of these cartels on American communities and the work law enforcement is doing to curtail these operations.
“The United Cartels has flooded every corner of our country with deadly fentanyl and methamphetamine,” Hamilton stated, adding, “What started out as an ordinary drug case in the Eastern District of Tennessee grew into a sprawling multinational investigation that will take down a transnational criminal organization precisely because law enforcement at all levels partnered together enthusiastically with mission-first single-mindedness.”
The Justice Department issued a press release on August 14th detailing charges filed against five alleged “high-ranking members” of the United Cartels, a designated foreign terrorist organization accused of operating a “vast narcotics distribution network spanning the United States and beyond.”
Per the Justice Department’s release, the five individuals who’ve been charged with a variety of offenses linked to a “decades-long” operation of drug distribution and weapons-related charges were identified as Juan Jose Farias Alvarez, Alfonso Fernandez Magallon, Luis Enrique Barragan Chavez, Edgar Orozco Cabadas, and Nicolas Sierra Santana.
According to officials, all five of the named cartel leaders are active fugitives who are facing life in prison upon arrest and conviction, with the State Department offering collective rewards of up to $26 million for information leading to the arrests and convictions of the aforementioned fugitives.
HSI Nashville acting Special Agent in Charge Dennis M. Fetting shared a statement following the announced charges, saying, “This case is a direct result of the hard work and collaboration between HSI and our law enforcement partners. This extensive investigation highlights our unwavering commitment to protecting our country and communities from the dangers of illegal drug and weapons trafficking. We will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that these criminal organizations are disrupted and held accountable.”
ICE’s HSI outfits also collaborated with numerous law enforcement agencies during the investigation leading to the charges filed, including the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Fresno Field Division, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), as well as the Tennessee 9th Judicial Drug Task Force, among others.
U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III, who covers the Eastern District of Tennessee, issued a statement in light of the charges filed, citing the detrimental impacts caused by the likes of these cartels on American communities and the work law enforcement is doing to curtail these operations.
“The United Cartels has flooded every corner of our country with deadly fentanyl and methamphetamine,” Hamilton stated, adding, “What started out as an ordinary drug case in the Eastern District of Tennessee grew into a sprawling multinational investigation that will take down a transnational criminal organization precisely because law enforcement at all levels partnered together enthusiastically with mission-first single-mindedness.”
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