4.8 kilos of cocaine seized following high-speed chases
Three charged in connection with undercover drug buy in East El Paso hotel parking lot
Authorities often seize cocaine wrapped in cellophane or inside plastic bundles. (For illustration purposes only)
Testing on staging11
EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) – A federal grand jury has charged three El Paso men with conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
The charges filed on Wednesday stem from the seizure of 4.8 kilograms of cocaine following high-speed evasion attempts that led to a crash near Chito Samaniego Drive and a disabled vehicle on Gateway East Boulevard.
The investigation began after Homeland Security Investigations agents learned last month that Alejandro Torres allegedly was in possession of more than 4 kilos of cocaine. Undercover agents contacted Torres and agreed to purchase the cocaine for $50,000. Court records show the suspect allegedly referred to the kilos as mochilitas (little backpacks) during secretly recorded conversations.
Torres and a driver later identified as Ricardo Isael Martinez met with undercover agents in the parking lot of a hotel in the 11400 block of Chito Samaniego Drive at 11:50 a.m. on May 9 in East El Paso. Torres allegedly told an agent a second vehicle would bring the cocaine to the parking lot a few minutes later. A white BMW 328i driven by Alan Daniel Mendoza Cardiel drove up to the parking lot and the agent was shown four cellophane-wrapped bundles in the trunk he identified as cocaine, court records show.
The agent gave a signal and law enforcement officials wearing body armor showed up yelling “Stop!” and “Police!” One parked a vehicle in front of the BMW. Court records show Mendoza disregarded the commands and sped off the scene. He crashed down the road into a vehicle driven by another HSI agent and was taken into custody.
Meantime, Torres and Martinez drove off in a Nissan Altima and were spotted by a Texas Department of Public Safety trooper. Records show the driver failed to yield and sped into a neighborhood. The vehicle proceeded onto Gateway East Boulevard allegedly weaving in and out of traffic and passing vehicles on the shoulder of the road.
Records show a DPS trooper twice conducted a PIT maneuver – which involves crashing or “tapping” the rear side of a moving vehicle – until the Nissan was disabled.
Torres and Martinez were taken into custody and a loaded Glock handgun seized from the vehicle.
An arraignment has been set for June 18 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jose A. Torres in El Paso.