CHICAGO— Twenty -two defendants are facing federal narcotics charges for their alleged roles in importing, supplying, and distributing kilogram quantities of heroin and cocaine through interconnected drug trafficking organizations that operated in the Chicago area, as well as in Mexico, California, Oregon, Indiana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, officials announced Thursday.
The investigation resulted in the seizure of more than $3.9 million from a residence in suburban Park Ridge in April 2013, as well as dozens of kilograms of cocaine, heroin, and marijuana, according to officials.
Beginning Monday night through Tuesday, 14 defendants were arrested in the Chicago area, two in California, and one each in Iowa and Pennsylvania, following an investigation led by FBI and DEA agents and other law enforcement partners assigned to the Chicago Strike Force.
Three others were already in custody, and one is a fugitive believed to be in Mexico.
Approximately $500,000 and a kilogram of cocaine were seized yesterday during the arrest of one defendant in Philadelphia. In Chicago, a loaded .32 caliber revolver, thousands of dollars in cash, and quantities of cocaine and heroin were seized during the arrests.
In total, agents seized approximately $5 million, 78 kilos of cocaine, and 20 kilos of heroin, and a large quantity of marijuana during the entire investigation.
The defendants were charged with conspiracy or possession with intent to distribute narcotics in three separate criminal complaints that were filed Monday in U.S. District Court and unsealed following the arrests.
“The Chicago Strike Force is a powerful collaboration of local, state, and federal law enforcement focused on the choke point between narcotics suppliers and street-level distributors,” said Zachary T. Fardon, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois.
One of the three complaints charges Victor Mata Madrigal, 37, of Lombard, and eight members or associates of his alleged drug trafficking organization.
Mata Madrigal allegedly imported wholesale amounts of cocaine and marijuana from Mexico into Chicago and distributed those narcotics to various wholesale customers.
On April 16, 2013, Strike Force agents seized $3,927,359 in alleged drug proceeds belonging to the Mata Madrigal organization from a residence in the 700 block of North Lincoln Avenue in Park Ridge.
The cash was found inside numerous duffel bags, roller bags, and backpacks. Also seized were multiple cell phones, money counters, and packaging materials used to secure the cash.
Mata Madrigal was arrested the same day and the complaint alleges that he continued to direct the drug operation while he was in custody.
This is What the Federal Complaint Alleges:
- The complaint charges that between April 2012 and May 2014 Mata Madrigal conspired with co-defendants Jorge Sanchez,, of Philadelphia; Jorge Michel Monroy, 45, of Philadelphia; Sergio Zepeda, 30, of Berwyn; Ramon Contreras, 23, of Chicago; Antonio Meija Rodriguez, believed to be in Mexico; Balmore Urbano, 31, of Bensenville; and Stephanie Arredondo, 22, of Franklin Park, to possess and distribute cocaine.
- The complaint also charges Ricardo Hernandez, 30, of Chicago, and Urbano with possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
- If convicted, officials said these nine defendants face a mandatory minimum of five years in prison and a maximum of 40 years and a $5 million fine.
- Another complaint charges Daniel Contreras, 36, of Bellwood, with working with multiple individuals to obtain and sell wholesale quantities of cocaine.
- Daniel Contreras and codefendants Roberto Cortez, 39, of Rialto, Calif., and Michael Aguirre, 26, of Maywood, allegedly purchased cocaine from the Mata Madrigal organization.
- Daniel Contreras also allegedly worked separately with Hector Murillo, 29, of Cicero, and Adan Baca 36, of Schaumburg, to sell distribution-sized quantities of cocaine. Co-defendants Rafael Ruiz, 36, of Bellwood; Armando Garcia, 38, of Bellwood; and Joseph De La Vega, 52, of Chicago, were allegedly wholesale cocaine customers of Daniel Contreras.
- Eitel Mendoza, 37, of Culver, Ore., allegedly worked with Cortez to transport kilos of cocaine from Oregon to Illinois.
If convicted, eight of these defendants face a mandatory minimum of five years in prison and a maximum of 40 years and a $5 million fine, while De La Vega alone faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine, officials said.
The third complaint charges Juan Moyano, 33, of Chicago, with purchasing narcotics from the Mata Madrigal organization and managing his own drug trafficking organization in Chicago that distributed heroin and cocaine, as well as possessed and transferred firearms. Moyano allegedly conspired with co-defendants Nikkolas Casillo, 28, of Chicago, and Jose Vasquez, 30, of Chicago, to distribute narcotics to their customers.
Co-defendant Jim Baartz, 41, of Crystal Lake, was an alleged heroin customer of Moyano.
If convicted, Moyano, Casillo, and Vasquez face a mandatory minimum of five years in prison and a maximum of 40 years and a $5 million fine, while Baartz alone faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine.