19 Pima, Cochise County residents indicted for running cartel drug ring

TUCSON — An Arizona Grand Jury  indicted 19 people from Pima and Cochise counties for allegedly operating a drug trafficking organization with ties to the Sinaloa drug cartel.

On Wednesday, January 9, agents from several law enforcement agencies simultaneously served multiple search warrants in Pima and Cochise Counties. Two weeks later, a State Grand Jury returned two indictments against the 19 defendants.

The indictments comprise 169 criminal counts for charges including RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization) offenses for:

  • illegally conducting an enterprise and money laundering
  • drug related charges involving sales of methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, fentanyl, Oxycodone, and marijuana
  • misconduct involving weapons, tampering with physical evidence
  • incidental charges for conspiracy and using wire communications in drug related transactions

In Cochise County, Timothy Henry was arrested and charged with more than 19 counts stemming from a methamphetamine distribution ring that he allegedly controlled in Sierra Vista.

The other nine individuals indicted in Cochise County are alleged mid-level methamphetamine distributors.

In Pima County, Francisco Ivan Osorio-Nava and Fabian Castro-Lopez are both Mexican nationals who were allegedly working directly for the Mexico-based Sinaloa drug cartel in Tucson. The other eight defendants indicted in Pima County are also alleged mid-level drug distributors, selling methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl, and Oxycodone.

A year-long joint investigation led by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) resulted in the arrests and indictments.

The investigation included the efforts of the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office, Douglas Police Department, Arizona Department of Public Safety, with special operations support from the Pima County Sheriff’s Office, Tucson Police Department, and the U.S. Border Patrol.

 

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