(NewsNation) — A former Indiana beauty queen has been indicted on federal charges that she was part of a Mexican drug cartel trafficking ring that was transporting cocaine into the United States and distributing it along with millions in drug proceeds.
Glenis Zapata, who was named Miss Indiana Latina in 2011, is named in an indictment that was handed down this month in federal court in Chicago. Zapata, 34, is charged with two federal counts of money laundering and, according to federal authorities, helped cartel members move millions of dollars on commercial flights while working as a flight attendant.
Zapata is named in the federal indictment along with her sister, Ilenis, 33, who works as an Indiana bank employee and who is said to have helped launder $400,000 in drug proceeds by exchanging lower denominations of cash into larger ones, the indictment says.
Court documents show that her charges stem from a $170,000 drug money transport on Aug. 7, 2019, and another movement of $140,000 on Sept. 10, 2019.
How the cartel’s drug operation worked
Federal authorities allege the scheme was overseen by Oswaldo Espinosa, who was the leader of an international drug trafficking organization known as the Espinosa DTO.
According to reports, the Espinosa cartel is a smaller criminal operation compared to the Jalisco New Generation and Sinaloa cartels, which are the largest drug trafficking organizations in Mexico.
The two groups exert massive control in Mexico and use various maritime ports and other entry points into the U.S. to move cocaine and synthetic drugs such as fentanyl and methamphetamine around the U.S. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration said in a report this month that the two cartels operate in all 50 states and have wiped out their competition in moving narcotics.
The organization imported cocaine into the U.S. from Mexico and transported it to different cities and towns across the U.S., the indictment says.
The trafficking ran between 2018 and 2023 when Espinosa and other members of the criminal organization trafficked thousands of kilograms of cocaine into the country and laundered tens of millions of dollars in drug proceeds.
Court documents show that the organization smuggled cocaine into the U.S. inside legitimate packaged goods that were moved by semitrailers. Authorities say the cocaine was hidden inside rolls of commercial plastic sheeting.
How the cartel moved the cocaine
Court documents show the cartel used various means to move the cocaine around the United States, running the drugs through Chicago. In addition to semi-trailer trucks, the drugs were moved on private chartered airplanes.
Members of the Espinosa DTO cartel moved drug proceeds through commercial flights and used Glenis Zapata along with a Known Crew Member to move cash. Drug proceeds were also moved by truck and private plane, the indictment says.
To facilitate Zapata’s transportation of the drug proceeds on commercial flights, Espinosa and other members of the cartel had the cash exchanged by Ilenis Zapata and another bank employee, Georgina Banuelos, into larger denominations of cash, according to authorities.
The drug proceeds were used to pay for the chartered flights, the indictment says. The cartel used warehouses and commercial garages in Chicago and other places to receive and unload the semitrailers as well as to count, package and load cash from the drug proceeds.
Court records show the cocaine and bulk amounts of cash were kept in stash locations in apartments and offices around Chicago and other places.
The U.S. government confiscated a Bombardier Challenger jet in 2021 at the Gary, Indiana, airport after officials said cocaine was off-loaded from the plane and driven to Chicago. Once there, DEA officials seized 175 pounds of cocaine in an SUV and 44 pounds of cocaine, which were found inside of luggage in a Chicago hotel, the indictment says.
Zapata as Miss Indiana Latina
Zapata won the Miss Indiana Latina crown in 2011, two years after graduating from high school in Lafayette, Indiana.
According to the Miss Indiana Latina Facebook page, Zapata was the first Indiana contestant to to finish in the top 10 at the national finals.
A 2011 story in the Journal and Courier in Zapata’s hometown of Lafayette reported that the beauty queen considered winning the Miss Indiana Latina crown a high honor, considering that the competition highlighted the culture and values of the Latino community.
“This, along with the organization’s motto, ‘More than a model, a role model,’ is what uniquely sets us apart for great success,” she said, according to the report.
In a statement issued by the organization, officials from Miss Indiana Latina called the case an isolated incident and said that Zapata has had no connection to the group since her reign ended in 2012.
“We trust that justice will take its course. Our mission remains the promtion of positive values and the empowerment of Latina women,” the statement said. “It is crucial not to stigmatize our Latin community or our hardworking Latina leaders who promote culture and traditional family values. We must remain united, supporting and encouraging our young female leaders to continue being examples of strength and success.”
Zapata and her sister were released from police custody in lieu of $20,000 bond, according to records.
Her attorney told the Chicago Sun-Times that Zapata was devastated by the indictment.
“She dropped her son off at school, and they grabbed her,” attorney Michael John Petro told the newspaper.
“Whatever message they are trying to send her is a very strong message.”