Nogales, Sonora — Police cooperation between Mexico and the United States has lead to the Mexican dismantling of major fentanyl trafficking. The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona announced Friday that bilateral cooperation between the United States and Mexico resulted in the Mexican Attorney General’s Office (FGR) shutting down a major operation.
The operation was shut down last week in Nogales, Sonora, where Mexican authorities dismantled a prolific transnational drug trafficking organization operating along the U.S.-Mexico border.
The operation resulted in the arrest of two individuals by Mexican authorities , including the organization’s leader Jairo Heriberto “J” and another member Jesús “R.”
Mexican authorities also seized four vehicles, two properties, two firearms, a large quantity of fentanyl pills and other substances. Six U.S.-based coordinators and operators with alleged ties to the same drug trafficking organization have been indicted.
Rafael “A,” Fernando “G,” Socorro “R,” Emmanuel “S,” Jostan “V,” and Rosa “P,” were indicted by a federal grand jury on drug trafficking charges on July 24, 2024. Emmanuel “S” was also charged with possession and distribution of counterfeit pills. Fernando “G” and Jostan “V” remain at large.
Another member of the organization, Eva “D,” was arrested on November 19, 2024, after being caught attempting to smuggle fentanyl pills into the United States at the Mariposa Port of Entry in Nogales, Arizona.
This effort is part of an ongoing Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States through a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)-Nogales led the investigation in the United States, working in conjunction with Homeland Security Investigations–Nogales, the U.S. Marshals Service and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Support from the DEA-Mexico City and the FGR’s Criminal Investigation Agency was critical to providing coordination between U.S. and Mexican law enforcement agencies.
Through financial support from the State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, the Justice Department’s Office of Foreign Prosecutor Development, Assistance and Training provided valuable assistance.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona, Tucson, is prosecuting the seven individuals named above.
