SAN DIEGO – After an almost decade-long U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Safety Investigations (HSI) investigation, a drug trafficker and cash launderer obtained a sentence of greater than 15 years in federal jail Jan. 10.
For his position in supervising and managing couriers who helped smuggle bulk money throughout the U.S.-Mexico border, Roberto Gallegos-Lechuga, 39, of Sinaloa, Mexico, pleaded responsible to conspiracy to commit worldwide cash laundering in July 2021.
Gallegos-Lechuga’s jail sentence is the newest in a number of sentences handed out following an HSI San Diego investigation that started in 2012. HSI San Diego started investigating a cash laundering group working within the U.S. and Mexico. Via its investigation, HSI decided that people engaged on behalf of the Sinaloa Cartel coordinated the smuggling of enormous quantities of bulk foreign money via the Southern California ports of entry.
“As we speak’s sentencing is the fruits of years of relentless work by Homeland Safety Investigations and its companions focusing on the Sinaloa Cartel,” mentioned HSI San Diego Particular Agent in Cost Chad Plantz. “This investigation highlights HSI’s dedication to go after each cartel drug trafficking and cash laundering exercise. The sentencing sends a convincing message to transnational felony organizations that HSI and our companions are unyielding in our pursuit of justice.”
The investigation revealed that people linked to the Sinaloa Cartel used cash companies companies and foreign money brokers to recruit cash couriers to move bulk money from numerous areas all through Southern California and different components of the U.S., then ship it to stash homes in Mexico. As soon as in Mexico, the foreign money was exchanged at a good fee from U.S. {Dollars} to Mexican Pesos. The cartel additionally used fictitious entities to deposit repatriated U.S. foreign money in U.S. banks.
Gallegos-Lechuga, who was extradited from Mexico to San Diego in August 2018, is one among eight people, together with Omar Ayon-Diaz, Osvaldo Contreras-Arriaga, Cesar Hernandez-Martinez, Gibran Rodriguez-Mejia, Oscar Rodriguez-Guevara, Bianca Acedo Ojeda and Joel Acedo Ojeda, to plead responsible and obtain federal jail sentences for his or her roles within the conspiracy. Roughly 20 further people have all pleaded responsible and obtained numerous sentences for his or her roles associated to the conspiracy.
HSI San Diego’s 10-year investigation into the Sinaloa Cartel resulted within the seizure of greater than $6 million in illicit foreign money, 336 kilos of methamphetamine, 40 gallons of liquid methamphetamine, 235 kilos of cocaine, 10 kilos of heroin, and 120 kilos of marijuana.
“Those that handle drug trafficking and cash laundering efforts for the Sinaloa Cartel, one of the vital violent felony organizations on the planet, will proceed to face justice on this district,” mentioned U.S. Lawyer Randy Grossman for the Southern District of California. “Stopping the stream of funds to drug cartels and of lethal medication into america continues to be a precedence for us and our legislation enforcement companions.”
“Violent transnational felony organizations just like the Sinaloa Cartel pose a hazard to our communities,” mentioned Assistant Lawyer Common Kenneth A. Well mannered Jr. of the Justice Division’s Felony Division. “They export harmful narcotics to america and their illicit proceeds corrupt our monetary system. We’ll prosecute them to the fullest extent of the legislation. I wish to thank the Authorities of Mexico for extraditing Lechuga-Gallegos to america to face felony fees. Via such partnerships, we’ll assault and work to dismantle harmful drug cartels.”
HSI is a directorate of ICE and the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Division of Homeland Safety (DHS), answerable for investigating transnational crime and threats, particularly these felony organizations that exploit the worldwide infrastructure via which worldwide commerce, journey, and finance transfer. HSI’s workforce of over 10,400 workers consists of greater than 7,100 particular brokers assigned to 220 cities all through america, and 80 abroad areas in 53 international locations. HSI’s worldwide presence represents DHS’s largest investigative legislation enforcement presence overseas and one of many largest worldwide footprints in U.S. legislation enforcement.
