In a bold and coordinated effort, U.S. and Mexican law enforcement teamed up to bring down a massive drug trafficking organization that had been smuggling dangerous substances across the U.S.-Mexico border.
Who Was Arrested and What Was Seized?
This operation unfolded last week in Nogales, Sonora, where the alleged leader of the organization, Heriberto Jacobo Perez, was arrested alongside an accomplice, Jesus Bernardo Rodriguez. Authorities didn’t just stop with the arrests. They seized:
- Four vehicles
- Two properties
- Two firearms
- A large haul of fentanyl pills and other drugs
- Significant amounts of cash
- It was a big win for law enforcement on both sides of the border.
What Happened in the U.S.?
The crackdown didn’t end in Mexico. Six people connected to the organization were also indicted in the U.S. on drug trafficking charges. These individuals included Rafael Alonso Arriaga, Fernando Garcia-Ibarra, Socorro Rascon, Emmanuel Sotelo-Salazar, Jostan Nathanae Vega-Ochoa, and Rosa Elena Peralta-Marrufo.
Not all of them are in custody, though. Garcia-Ibarra and Vega-Ochoa are still on the run. Meanwhile, another member of the ring, Eva Angelina De La Torre, was caught back in November trying to smuggle fentanyl pills into the U.S. at the Mariposa Port of Entry in Nogales, Arizona.
Why This Operation Matters
U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino emphasized how critical teamwork was to this success. “Dismantling transnational crime requires cross-border cooperation,” he said. “This is simply tremendous work by career civil servants with the Department of Justice working with Mexican prosecutors to take down this criminal organization on both sides of the border.”
This isn’t just about arrests—it’s about disrupting the supply chains that fuel addiction and endanger lives.
Part of a larger mission.
This operation is part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) concept. This initiative pulls together intelligence, prosecutors, and several agencies to pursue powerful criminal groups that endanger communities in the United States.
A Major Win Against Organized Crime
This cross-border operation isn’t just a victory for law enforcement—it’s a step toward curbing the flow of dangerous drugs like fentanyl that devastate families and communities. It’s a reminder of the impact collaboration can have when two countries work together for a common goal.
