Authorities in the United States gained access to telephone calls and were able to listen to the criminal conduct of two individuals related to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) which lead to their arrest.
The United States Department of Justice reported that the detainees were engaged in drug trafficking and were linked to the CJNG cartel and were imprisoned after an investigation that involved telephone calls.
The men were identified as Armando Fierro-Ponce, 28, who was sentenced to eight years in prison. Fierro-Ponce was dedicated to collecting debts, obtaining weapons, and threatening debtors with violence.
The other criminal identified as 27-year -old Edgar Luna-Garcia was sentenced to five years in prison. Luna-Garcia was entrusted with large loads of methamphetamine and was required to “clean” a hideout after a shooting.
“A wiretapping investigation captured the criminal conduct of these two defendants and the roles they played in the organization…Fortunately, law enforcement was listening and was able to intervene before the kidnapping and assault threats became reality. Now, both men are going to prison for their involvement in an organization that trafficked large quantities of methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl pills .”
Neither of the two men have legal status in the United States, so they will likely face deportation after serving their sentences.
For two months, the police monitored the phones of a criminal organization and on several occasions Fierro-Ponce was heard talking about firearms and violent activities, as well as debt collection. To avoid violence, the uniformed officers took agents to the area where the possible victim was located.
“This prosecution is part of an investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States,” the statement read.
