KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that four Mexican nationals were indicted by a federal grand jury today, in two separate but related cases, for their roles in distributing large amounts of methamphetamine in Jackson County, Mo., and elsewhere.
The indictments, returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas
City, Mo., are the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol,
Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives into the distribution of large quantities of
methamphetamine. In the course of the investigation, ATF agents seized nearly
eight kilograms of methamphetamine.
The indictments replace separate federal criminal complaints
that were filed on May 21, 2015.
USA v. Santana-Martinez, et al.
Artemio Santana-Martinez, 26, of Oakland, Calif., and
Antonio Aguilar-Reyes, 39, of Boulevard, Texas, both of whom are citizens of
Mexico, are charged with aiding and abetting each other to possess
methamphetamine with the intent to distribute on May 20, 2015.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the original
criminal complaint, a cooperating defendant (who is not identified in court
documents) told agents that one of his/her suppliers, later identified as
Santana-Martinez, was a kilogram-level methamphetamine dealer and that the
cooperating defendant had been purchasing large quantities of methamphetamine
from this source for several months.
On May 20, 2015, the cooperating defendant (working under
the direction of ATF agents) contacted Santana-Martinez and ordered a kilogram
of methamphetamine to be delivered to an Independence, Mo., residence. That
afternoon, the affidavit says, Santana-Martinez and Aguilar-Reyes arrived at
the Independence residence and were arrested. Agents searched their vehicle and
seized two kilograms of methamphetamine, four cell phones and a small bound
composition book which appeared to be a drug ledger (in Spanish). Agents also
seized $800 from Aguilar-Reyes and $89 from Santana-Martinez.
USA v. Garcia-Miranda, et al.
Jorge Garcia-Miranda, 29, and Abel Gonzalez-Jimenez, 44,
both of whom are Mexican nationals with unknown addresses, were charged with
participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Jackson County
and elsewhere between Dec. 14, 2014, and May 1, 2015.
Garcia-Miranda and Gonzalez-Jimenez were arrested on May 20,
2015, in their room at a Mission, Kan., hotel, where federal agents seized
approximately 5.7 kilograms of methamphetamine.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the original
criminal complaint, a cooperating defendant (working under the direction of ATF
agents) placed an order for a kilogram of methamphetamine from one of his/her
suppliers (who is not identified in court documents). Agents had previously
observed the cooperating defendant purchase approximately 2.5 kilograms of
methamphetamine from this supplier.
Agents followed the supplier to the Mission hotel, then
pulled him over in a traffic stop after he/she left the hotel. He/she allegedly
told officers that Gonzalez-Jimenez, who had a room at the hotel, was supposed
to obtain methamphetamine for him to sell to the cooperating defendant.
However, the affidavit says, Gonzalez-Jimenez was “cleaning” the
methamphetamine so it wouldn’t be available until the following day. “Cleaning”
methamphetamine involves using dangerous and flammable chemicals, including
acetone.
When agents knocked on the door of the hotel room,
Garcia-Miranda opened the door but attempted to slam it shut as soon as he
realized they were law enforcement officers. Agents prevented the door from
being shut and detected a strong acetone odor coming from inside the room. A
large quantity of methamphetamine was in the process of being “cleaned” in the
hotel room, the affidavit says. Agents also observed acetone being heated on
the stove and a lit candle. Certified decontamination agents removed the toxic
fumes from the room to protect the agents and hotel guests.
Dickinson cautioned that the charges contained in these
indictments are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence
supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is
to determine guilt or innocence.
These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney
Stefan C. Hughes. They were investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco,
Firearms and Explosives.
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