Source: United States Attorneys General
The United States announced today that it has taken into custody 26 fugitives from Mexico facing a range of federal and state criminal charges from around the country, including charges relating to drug-trafficking, hostage-taking, kidnapping, illegal use of firearms, human smuggling, money laundering, the murder of a sheriffs’ deputy, and other crimes. Among the fugitives taken into U.S. custody today are leaders and managers of dangerous drug cartels, such as those designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists, including the Sinaloa Cartel, Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), and Cártel del Noreste (formerly Los Zetas). These fugitives are collectively alleged to have imported into the United States tonnage quantities of dangerous drugs, including cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl, and heroin.
“Today is the latest example of the Trump administration’s historic efforts to dismantle cartels and foreign terrorist organizations,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “These 26 men have all played a role in bringing violence and drugs to American shores — under this Department of Justice, they will face severe consequences for their crimes against this country. We are grateful to Mexico’s National Security team for their collaboration in this matter.”
Included in today’s transfer are the following fugitives:
- Abigael Gonzalez Valencia also known as “Cuini” – is one of the leaders of Los Cuinis, a major Mexican drug cartel responsible for trafficking multiple tons of cocaine from South America, through Mexico, into the United States.
- Kevin Gil Acosta and Martin Zazueta Perez – According to court documents, Gil Acosta and Zazueta Perez are leaders of the security apparatus for the Chapitos, a powerful faction of the Sinaloa Cartel that engages in prolific fentanyl trafficking. Both men have led sicarios armed with military-style weapons – such as AK-47s, M-16s, AR-15s, and grenade launchers – in attacks on Mexican government and military officials. Gil Acosta leads sicarios tasked with protecting fentanyl labs and distribution routes while Zazueta Perez provides personal security for a leader of the Chapitos.
- Abdul Karim Conteh, a national of Sierra Leone, allegedly led a human smuggling organization that smuggled thousands of migrants to the United States through Mexico. These smuggled migrants originated from countries around the world, including Iran, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Somalia, Cameroon, Senegal, Mauritania, Ethiopia, Egypt, and others. The migrants paid smuggling fees, often tens of thousands of dollars. Conteh allegedly oversaw the migrants’ unlawful entry into the United States by various surreptitious and unlawful means, including the use of ladders and tunnels.
- Leobardo Garcia Corrales is believed to be an important figure in the Sinaloa Cartel who has trafficked kilogram quantities of fentanyl into the United States, sometimes in exchange for military-grade weapons such as AK-47s, grenades, and submachine guns. He claims to be close friends and associates with Joaquín Archivaldo Guzmán Loera, aka “El Chapo.”
- Luis Raul Castro Valenzuela also known as “Chacho,” a member of the Sinaloa Cartel, has been charged with kidnapping and holding hostage a U.S. citizen.
- Juan Carlos Felix Gastelum also known as “El Chavo Félix,” a major Sinaloa Cartel cell leader and son-in-law to former Sinaloa Cartel leader Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, is alleged to be a principal operator of the Sinaloa Cartel’s clandestine methamphetamine manufacturing laboratories located in the Sierra Madre Mountains of Sinaloa and Durango, Mexico involved in the manufacturing and distribution of large quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine from Mexico into the United States.
- Roberto Salazar is wanted in connection with the murder of Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy Juan Escalante, who was killed in 2008 when he was leaving his home during the early morning hours.
- Pablo Edwin Huerta Nuno, also known as “Flaquito,” is a violent Tijuana Plaza boss who has operated with impunity during the last 15 years. Huerta-Nuno is alleged to have supplied thousands of kilograms of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine to distributors and cells located throughout San Diego and Los Angeles. And in return, millions of dollars in narcotics proceeds were delivered to him and his organization via shipments of bulk cash from San Diego into Tijuana.
Below is a complete list of fugitives, as well as the districts in which they are charged and will appear in federal court in the coming days:
| Fugitive | Arraignment Jurisdiction | Statutory Maximum |
| Enrique Arballo Talamantes | District of New Mexico | Up to life imprisonment |
| Benito Barrios Maldonado | District of Arizona | Up to life imprisonment |
| Luis Raul Castro Valenzuela | District of Delaware | Up to life imprisonment |
| Francisco Chavez | District of Colorado | Up to life imprisonment |
| Abdul Karim Conteh | Southern District of California | 45 years’ imprisonment |
| Baldomero Fernandez Beltran | District of Arizona | Up to life imprisonment |
| Ismael Enrique Fernandez Vazquez | Eastern District of Texas | Up to life imprisonment |
| Leobardo Garcia Corrales | Southern District of New York | Up to life imprisonment |
| Abigael Gonzalez Valencia | District of Columbia | Up to life imprisonment |
| Jose Carlos Guzman Bernal | District of Alaska | Up to life imprisonment |
| Anton Petrov Kulkin | District of Massachusetts | Up to life imprisonment |
| Roberto Omar Lopez | Northern District of Georgia | Up to life imprisonment |
| Jose Francisco Mendoza Gomez | Eastern District of Virginia | Up to life imprisonment |
| Hernan Domingo Ojeda Lopez | District of Columbia |
Up to life imprisonment |
| Daniel Perez Rojas | District of Columbia | Up to life imprisonment |
| Juan Carlos Sanchez Gaytan | Southern District of Texas | Up to life imprisonment |
| David Fernando Vasquez Bejarano | Eastern District of Virginia | Up to life imprisonment |
| Jose Antonio Vivanco Hernandez | Northern District of Illinois | Up to life imprisonment |
| Mauro Alberto Nunez Ojeda | District of Columbia | Up to life imprisonment |
| Juan Carlos Felix Gastelum | Southern District of California | Up to life imprisonment |
| Jesus Guzman Castro | Eastern District of New York and District of South Carolina | Up to life imprisonment |
| Pablo Edwin Huerta Nuno | Southern District of California | Up to life imprisonment |
| Servando Gomez Martinez | Southern District of New York | Up to life imprisonment |
| Kevin Gil Acosta | Southern District of New York | Up to life imprisonment |
| Roberto Salazar | CA: Los Angeles County | Up to life imprisonment |
| Martin Zazueta Perez | Southern District of New York | Up to life imprisonment |
Attorney General Pamela Bondi thanked the law enforcement officers of the Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshal’s Service, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, and the Los Angeles County Police Department for their valuable contributions to these investigations.
The Attorney General also thanked the Justice Department Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section, as well as the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of Alaska, District of Arizona, Southern District of California, District of Columbia, District of Colorado, Middle District of North Carolina, District of Delaware, Northern District of Georgia, Northern District of Illinois, District of Massachusetts, District of New Mexico, Eastern District of New York, Southern District of New York, District of South Carolina, Eastern District of Virginia, Northern District of Texas, Eastern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas, and Western District of Texas and Los Angeles County for handling the prosecutions of these cases. The Attorney General also thanked the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs which provided critical assistance in securing the transfer of these fugitives to the United States to face justice.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.