U.S. and Mexican law enforcement made significant enforcement arrests against a prolific transnational drug trafficking organization operating in Nogales, Sonora, along the U.S.-Mexico border, officials announced last week.
After extensive bilateral cooperation between the United States and Mexico, Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office, (FGR) – conducted a significant enforcement operation on June 23, 2023, to dismantle a prolific transnational drug trafficking organization operating in Nogales, Sonora, along the U.S.–Mexico border.
The operation resulted in the arrest of five people and the seizure of 120,000 fentanyl pills, 15 pounds of methamphetamine, 17 pounds of heroin, 15 pounds of cocaine, three assault rifles, one 9mm handgun, and a vehicle.
In addition, seven U.S.-based coordinators and operators with alleged ties to the same drug-trafficking organization have been arrested and indicted in the United States:
Gerardo Bernal-Mazon, 29, Ashley Bernal, 31, Jessica Yesenia Valenzuela, 32, and Delyanira Lovio, 29, all of Nogales, Arizona, Juan Murillo, 48, of Rio Rico, Arizona, and Lilian Sugey Siegfried, 38, of Tucson, Arizona, were indicted by a federal grand jury on drug trafficking charges on Feb. 2.
George Armenta-Vasquez, 45, of Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, was indicted by a federal grand jury on Jan. 25.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations threatening the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.
Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.