Eleven suspects, including four UPS employees, were indicted Wednesday for their alleged role in a nationwide criminal enterprise that trafficked illegal drugs across the country "for more than a decade,” officials said.
»PREVIOUS COVERAGE: UPS employees arrested in drug-trafficking investigation
The defendants, who were arrested in Arizona in November, are facing a litany of charges, including drug trafficking, money laundering, weapons violations and the transportation of more than 50,000 counterfeit THC vape pens across the country, according to Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich.
All 11 suspects were arrested in late November, the four UPS employees among them.
At the time, Sandy Springs-based UPS issued a statement saying it is “aware of the law enforcement actions involving employees.”
“We cooperate fully with law enforcement professionals and will continue to provide information as needed,” the company said.
The indictment is the culmination of a two-year investigation.
The undercover operation first came on the radar in 2017.
That's when special agents with the Department of Homeland Security learned UPS employees were allegedly using the UPS distribution network to ship packages of drugs undetected from Arizona to the eastern United States, Brnovich said.
"Specifically, between November 2018 and June 2019, undercover officers shipped and received packages, supposedly containing illegal drugs and illegal drug proceeds, by routing them through the shipment center in Tucson,” Brnovich wrote.
Counter Narcotics Alliance commander John Leavitt said in a written statement in November that the investigation found and mitigated “vulnerabilities in the shipping infrastructure that has allowed for the undetected trafficking of narcotics for more than a decade.”
Homeland Security said law enforcement officers discovered UPS drivers and supervisors were allegedly using techniques to “defeat internal measures and law enforcement efforts to identify and intercept parcels containing contraband.”
Along with the vape pens, agents also seized at least $10,000, several luxury vehicles and commercial grade equipment to manufacture illicit drugs, Tucson police said.
Those charged in the indictment are:
- Fernando Navarro-Figueroa, 32
- Raul Garcia Cordova, 47
- Abraham Felix-Navarro, 27
- Heriberto Martinez-Bojorquez, 24
- Thomas Mendoza, 47
- Victor Molina, 32
- Mario Barcelo, 49
- Michael Castro, 34
- Jonathan Gallegos, 26
- Gary Love, 40
- Martin Siqueiros, 31
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