Attorney General Brown announces 16 drug cartel indictments

August 26, 2009 @ 9:51 am

By ivnews.INFO Staff | ivnews.INFO

California Attorney General Jerry Brown announced at a news conference in Imperial Wednesday 16 indictments against suspected members of the Sinoloa drug cartel.

The indictments and seizures of more than 550 pounds of cocaine and marijuana are the result of “Operation Silver Fox,” an eight-month joint investigation by Brown’s narcotics division, the Imperial County Narcotic Task Force, Imperial County District Attorney’s office and the Imperial County Sheriff’s Department.

“This notorious cartel smuggled massive quantities of cocaine and marijuana into Southern California, fueling addiction and violence across the nation,” Brown said in a press release. “Through a very dangerous and courageous undercover operation, the Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement and Imperial County Narcotic Task Force has dealt a body blow to this syndicate and seized hundreds of pounds of narcotics.”

The operation included surveillance by narcotics officers in Calexico, San Diego, Bell Gardens, Colton, Fontana, Los Angeles, Ontario, Pacoima, Rialto and Riverside. Brown said the Mexican cartel used vehicles with hidden compartments to smuggle drugs through the Calexico ports of entry for distribution in the U.S. and Canada.

During the eight months officers seized:

• $19 million in cocaine and marijuana
• $1.7 million in U.S. currency
• Seven handguns and two assault rifles
• Nine vehicles

Those charged in the operation are:

• Rodrigo Grijalva, 31, of Mexicali
• Jose Abraham Guzman, 26, of Mexicali
• Cesar Yaserf Lara, 21, of Mexicali
• Sergio Villagrana Murillo, 62, of Mexicali
• Marco Mendoza, 43, of South Gate
• Gerald William Andrews, 42, of Pacoima
• Lorena Lara, 29, of Fontana
• Juan Berumen Sandoval, 44, of Rialto
• Juan Gabriel Molina, 28, of South Gate
• Hilario Lopez Rodriguez, 43, of Pacoima
• Norberto Ruelas Urias, 39, of Long Beach
• Ramon Valenzuela, 33, of South Gate

Brown indicated that additional future arrests are expected and the operation is ongoing.