“Socalj” for Borderland Beat
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17 suspects believed to be part of a drug trafficking ring are accused of smuggling large quantities of narcotics into the Los Angeles area.
After a two-year investigation, authorities discovered the suspects used semi-trucks to import fire extinguishers filled with drugs that were concealed in scrap metal loads. The drugs were smuggled over the US-Mexico border and included fentanyl, methamphetamine, and heroin, according to the US Attorney’s Office.
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9 suspects who were arrested from Feb. 8-12 were identified as:
Fernando Salgado, 36, of Riverside
Erick Roque Angeles, 39, of Fontana
Rocio Guadalupe Acevedo Tonche, 32, of Ontario
David Sanchez Balderas, 26, of Denver
Miguel Antonio Rabago Valenzuela, 42, of Mexico
Gustavo Rivero Rodriguez, 39, of Mexico
Efren Quibrera Espinoza, 29, of Cudahy
The tenth suspect, Toniel Baez-Duarte, 33, of Apple Valley, was already in state custody. 7 additional suspects remain at large and are believed to be in Mexico.
“These defendants used a sophisticated network to smuggle immense amounts of fentanyl into our country,” said Martin Estrada, a U.S. Attorney. “We know that every fentanyl pill can kill, but these defendants did not care about the widespread destruction they were causing. Our office will continue to work intelligently and aggressively to bring international drug-trafficking organizations to justice.”
Carin Trucking
The investigation centered around Carin Trucking, a San Diego-based company that operated at least 6 semi-trucks that regularly entered the U.S. from Mexico to deliver suspected narcotics to the L.A. area, authorities said.
The company’s DOT records show the main company’s operations are in Tijuana, with a mailing address in San Diego, California.