9 Indicted For Drug Trafficking, Money Laundering

Drugs smuggled from CA to AK for four years

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By Grace Jang
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Story Created: Feb 28, 2011 at 9:14 PM AKDT

Story Updated: Feb 28, 2011 at 9:14 PM AKDT

 ANCHORAGE—A major drug bust ended with a federal grand jury indictment of nine men--some of whom are Mexican nationals and all of whom are accused of drug trafficking and money laundering.

According to the U.S. Attorney's office, the men were involved in smuggling large amounts of cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana from California to Alaska and sending that money back to California.

For nearly four years—from September 2007 to February 2011, federal investigators say nine men moved more than $2 million worth of the drugs. Exactly how, though, officials won't say.

“The investigation has revealed that the money that's being laundered is being laundered back to California,” said Yvonne Lamoureux, Asst. U.S. Attorney for Alaska.

Investigators seized about a quarter-million dollars in cash and say about $675,000 of drug money was sent to California.

“There are nine named defendants in this indictment,” said Lamoureux. “That doesn't mean the conspiracy didn't include more than those nine individuals.”

Three of the nine men are Anchorage residents: Jose Manuel Noyola-Martinez, 30, also known as “Scooby,” Jonathan Manuel Santana, 25, also known as “Flip” and Carlos Olivares, 39.

The others were arraigned in Los Angeles and will be extradited to Alaska: Adan Barragan, 27, also known as “Lalo,” Armando Montano-Morales, 38, and Albaro Rivera Garcia, 26, also known as “The Dude,” and Juan Carlos Rubio Maldanado, 27.

But two California residents—Antonio Loera Isidro, 24, also known as “Tomato,” and Jair Rios Romero, 26, also known as “Goofy,” are considered “fugitives,” Lamoureux said.

“Some” of the suspects, she said are citizens of Mexico.

“We'll have to wait for the defendants arrested in Southern California to be transported up to Alaska,” Lamoureux said. “Then the trial date will be set.”

If convicted, each man faces 10 years to life behind federal bars.

A number of agencies participated in the investigation: Anchorage police, FBI Safe Streets Task Force, IRS, Homeland Security and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

 

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Richard said on Thursday, Mar 3 at 10:40 AM

Hey if your going to sell drugs that take life,you better be ready to give up your own!

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Blue said on Sunday, Mar 6 at 7:25 PM

go suck a dick richard

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