19 Enter Guilty Pleas In Trafficking Probe

Officials: Meth Smuggled From Mexico

— A total of 19 defendants indicted in the investigation of drug trafficking out of the Scott County town of Waldron entered guilty pleas in federal court this week.

The pleas were entered Monday through Thursday before U.S. District Judge P.K. Holmes III in response to a 53-count indictment issued last summer after a year-long multi agency investigation federal authorities dubbed Operation Great Scott.

“These convictions, taken together, represent another drug trafficking organization that is out of business,” U.S. Attorney Conner Eldridgesaid in a news release Friday. “We will continue to work together and do all we can to make our communities safe.”

The drug organization’s activities first were detected by Scott County sheriff ’s deputies and Waldron police officers who asked the Arkansas State Police for help, the government said at the time of the arrests in August. The Drug Enforcement Administration; Department of Homeland Security; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; 15th Judicial District Drug Task Force; and the Fort Smith Police Department all worked on the investigation.

Government officials alleged that some of the defendants smuggled methamphetamine from Mexico to Dallas. Others traveled to Dallas from Waldron, picked up the drugs and transported them to Waldron, where they were distributed throughout the area, south to Mena, as far north as Springdale and into Oklahoma.

When authorities broke up the ring in August, they executed five search warrants and seized 12.5 pounds of methamphetamine “ice,” which is the smokable form of the drug produced in Mexico. Officials also seized more than 70 pounds of marijuana, 28 firearms, two bullet-resistant vests and more than $50,000 in cash, according to the government.

The 19 defendants were to have gone on trial on the charges Thursday, according to court records.

Pleading guilty were:

Miguel Paramo, 31, of Waldron to one count of possessing more than 50 grams of methamphetamine with intent to distribute.

Christian Bonilla, 30, Amadeo Cardenas, 34, Carlton Mathews, 27, and Daniel Valdez, 28, all of Waldron, to one count each of distribution of methamphetamine.

Juan Vasquez, 33, of Heavener, Okla., Cody Pittman, 29, of Irving, Texas, Armando Arce, 57, of Mena and Michael Thompson, 31, of Hatfield to one count each of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

Lee Roy Garcia, 24, of Waldron to one count of aiding and abetting to distribute more than five grams of methamphetamine and one count of being addicted to methamphetamine and simultaneously possessing eight firearms.

Fernando Perez, 24, of Mexico, Jaime Villareal, 29, and Benjamin Chronister, 30, both of Waldron, Javier Villareal, 37, of Huntington and Juan Garcia, 37, of Cherokee, Okla., to one count each of aiding and abetting to distribute methamphetamine.

Daniel Cruz, 20, of Waldron to one count of distribution of more than five grams of methamphetamine.

Gilberto Avila, 29, Sandra Payne, 42, and David Gutierrez-Cervantes, 32, all of Waldron, to two counts each of using a cell phone in the furtherance of a drug offense.

The defendants face prison sentences ranging from eight years to life and fines ranging from $10,000 to $10 million, according to the news release from the U.S. attorney’s office.

The date for sentencing has not been set.

Northwest Arkansas, Pages 11 on 02/02/2013

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