Following Arrests, Feds Outline Vast Cocaine, Heroin Ring Operating Out of Dallas, Fort Worth

The U.S. Attorney's Office sends word: Federal authorities have rounded up dozens suspected of trafficking heroin and cocaine from Dallas to Atlanta to Baltimore to Philadelphia to Nashville and all points in between. Those arrested yesterday come from all over, including Dallas and Fort Worth and Mansfield and Grand Prairie; others hail from as far away as Atlanta and Wilmington, Delaware, and one suspect was popped in Minnesota. And all, say federal authorities, were part of "a massive cocaine and heroin distribution conspiracy" in North Texas since at least 2005, though it appears to have started in '02, when brothers Rigoberto, 34, and Ramon Orozco are alleged to have begun trafficking coke, heroin and marijuana. Says the feds' release, which was accompanied by several affidavits detailing the operation:

One cooperating individual who assisted Rigoberto in shipping drug proceeds, stated that he/she was once in a hotel in Philadelphia with more than $3 million in drug proceeds. The complaint further states that on July 10, 2005, Rigoberto and Margarita Monrreal used drug proceeds to purchase a home on Meadow Crest Lane in Mansfield, Texas and that from January 2007 through mid-November 2009, four of the defendants made at least 64 wire transfers from Fort Worth to locations in Mexico to purchase heroin.

The release also refers to some of the defendants' stash houses, in which they received and stored some of the drugs and dough; says the release, one such trap was "a warehouse on Northhaven Road in Dallas" -- specifically, says the U.S. Attorney's Office, 2630 Northhaven, which puts it this close to Denton Drive -- which was robbed at gunpoint on April 21. Among those arrested was 30-year-old Harold Grubbs from Fort Worth, who goes by the nickname "Big D." A crime novel's worth of federal filings follow.

LAW ENFORCEMENT DISMANTLES MAJOR COCAINE AND HEROIN DRUG TRAFFICKING ORGANIZATIONS

OPERATING IN THE DFW METROPLEX

U.S. Attorney Says Arrests Will Severely Disrupt the Supply Network for Cocaine and Heroin

Throughout North Texas

FORT WORTH, Texas -- Numerous defendants, charged in four federal criminal complaints with various offenses related to their operation of a massive cocaine and heroin distribution conspiracy since May 2005 in the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) metroplex and throughout North Texas and elsewhere, were arrested yesterday, announced U.S. Attorney James T. Jacks, of the Northern District of Texas, Special Agent in Charge Robert E. Casey, Jr., of the FBI, Special Agent in Charge James Capra of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Special Agent in Charge Andrea D. Whelan, of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI).

During the course of executing the arrest and search warrants in this Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation, law enforcement seized heroin, cocaine, firearms, vehicles and cash.

U.S. Attorney Jacks said, "As a direct result of yesterday's major enforcement action, the supply network for cocaine and heroin in the DFW metroplex and elsewhere has been severely disrupted. I applaud the hard work, innovation and teamwork exhibited by the FBI, DEA, IRS-CI and the Fort Worth and Arlington Police Departments who once again demonstrated the importance of combining the strengths, resources and expertise of federal and local agencies to fight these drug trafficking networks."

These four related complaints have been partially unsealed as to the defendants arrested. All those arrested locally are expected to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey L. Cureton beginning at 1:30 this afternoon, at the Parker County Jail in Weatherford, Texas. Some defendants have been charged in more than one complaint.

The first complaint charges numerous individuals with conspiring to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine. Individuals charged and in custody on this complaint include:

Hugo Cordoba, aka "Hugo Alberto Guadalupe Cordova De La Cruz and "Grenas"

Cristian Ocana, aka "Cri Cri" and "Chilango,"36, of Grand Prairie, Texas

Arturo Hernandez Guadarrama, aka "Gerardo Guadarrama" and "Gordo," 31, Mesquite, Texas

Oscar Ocana, 42, of Dallas, Texas

Roberto Torres Martinez, aka "Roberto Torres," 58, of Dallas, Texas

Monica Ann Saenz, aka "Bebe," 32, of Dallas, Texas

Tiffany Taber, 29, of Dallas, Texas

Cesar Enrique Mireles, in custody in Minnesota

Jose Juvenal Quezada, aka "Juve," 23, of Fort Worth, Texas

Christopher George Chavez, aka "Chris," 31, of Dallas, Texas

First Name Unknown Last Name Unknown, aka "Apolonio Longinos" and "Polo"

Jasinto Ramirez, 34, of Dallas or Grand Prairie, Texas

Miguel Angel Gonzalez, 39, of Dallas or Grand Prairie, Texas

Oscar Morales Ramirez, 31, of Dallas or Grand Prairie, Texas

First Name Unknown Last Name Unknown, believed to be "Jose Alfredo Lagunas," aka

"Champion" and "Champi," 39, of Balch Springs, Texas

Aracely Caballero, aka "Cely," 35 of Dallas, Texas

The second complaint also charges numerous individuals with conspiring to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine. Individuals charged and in custody in this complaint include:

Cristian Ocana, aka "Cri Cri," 36, of Grand Prairie, Texas

Rigoberto Orozco, aka "Rigo," 34, of Mansfield, Texas
William Glenn Jones, aka "Unc," 59, of Fort Worth, Texas

Wheattina Goodman, aka "Wheat," 34, of Wilmington, Delaware

Daveon McCulloch, 37, of Fort Worth, Texas

Ledell Derrick Shaw, aka "Derrick Shaw," 40, of Atlanta, Georgia

Kenya White, aka "Block," of Wilmington, Delaware

Margarita Orozco, nee Monrreal, 31, of Mansfield, Texas

The third complaint charges numerous individuals with conspiring to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute more than 100 grams of heroin. Individuals charged and in custody on this complaint include:

Rigoberto Orozco, aka "Rigo," 34, of Mansfield, Texas

Eric Orozco, aka "Eddie," 23, of Atlanta, Georgia

Hector Ramos, aka "John Gotti," in custody in East Texas

Harold Grubbs, aka "Big D," 30, of Fort Worth, Texas

Jo Ann Henry, 51, of Fort Worth, Texas

Ivan Cano, 24, of Fort Worth, Texas

Sarah Reyes, aka "Sarah Murillo," 32, of Fort Worth, Texas

The fourth complaint charges several individuals with conspiring to engage in a monetary transaction in criminally derived property (drug proceeds) and conspiring to commit money laundering by transferring funds (drug proceeds) from the U.S. to a place outside the U.S. to avoid transaction reporting requirements. Individuals charged and in custody on this complaint include:

Rigoberto Orozco, aka "Rigo," 34, of Mansfield, Texas

Margrita Monrreal, aka "Margarita Orozco" 31, of Mansfield, Texas
Araseli Orozco, 34, of Fort Worth, Texas

Jo Ann Henry, 51, of Fort Worth, Texas

Since 2002, according to this complaint, brothers Rigoberto and Ramon Orozco made substantial money from distributing cocaine, heroin and marijuana in the DFW area as well as in the Atlanta and Philadelphia areas. One cooperating individual who assisted Rigoberto in shipping drug proceeds, stated that he/she was once in a hotel in Philadelphia with more than $3 million in drug proceeds. The complaint further states that on July 10, 2005, Rigoberto and Margarita Monrreal used drug proceeds to purchase a home on Meadow Crest Lane in Mansfield, Texas and that from January 2007 through mid-November 2009, four of the defendants made at least 64 wire transfers from Fort Worth to locations in Mexico to purchase heroin.

Another related complaint, filed on May 10, 2011, and partially unsealed after some arrests were made shortly thereafter, also charges several individuals with conspiring to possess with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine. Individuals charged and in custody on this complaint include:

Leonardo Gonzalez, aka "Casper,"
Alfredo Gonzalez, aka "Gator,"

Miguel Banda, aka "Churro,"

Gabriel Arredondo

According to the complaints filed, some or all of the defendants were involved in running large scale drug trafficking organizations by transporting the drugs from Mexico into the metroplex, and throughout North Texas and elsewhere, including Atlanta, Baltimore, Philadelphia and Nashville.

Some of the defendants used stash houses, known as "traps," to receive and store the drugs and cash proceeds. One such location was a warehouse on Northhaven Road in Dallas. On April 21, 2011, some of the defendants listed in the above-referenced complaint filed on May 10, 2011, committed the armed robbery of that warehouse, holding two men at gunpoint. The robbers left and divided the stolen drugs and cash among themselves.

A federal criminal complaint is a written statement of the essential facts of the offenses charged, and must be made under oath before a magistrate judge. A defendant is entitled to the presumption of innocence until proven guilty. The maximum statutory penalty, however, for each of the drug offenses is not less than five or more than 40 years in prison. The maximum statutory sentence for conspiracy to commit money laundering is 20 years in prison. All carry substantial fines. The U.S. Attorney's office has 30 days to present the matters to a grand jury for indictment.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua T. Burgess and Steve Jumes are in charge of the prosecution.

Final Redacted ML Complaint 249Final Redacted Rigo ComplaintFinal Redacted Complaint 231411-MJ-233 Part 1411-MJ-233 Part 2