A traffic accident in a Tennessee town in 2019 has snowballed into one of America’s biggest drug trafficking cases. The crash involved two dealers who fled, tossing a case of methamphetamine behind the wrecked vehicle, according to a report published by The Associated Press on Thursday. This opened the door for law enforcement to wiretap and surveil Atlanta-area operations led by Eladio Mendoza. Court documents revealed that the investigation traced shipments back to cartel leader ‘El Abuelo’, head of the powerful United Cartels.
Shootout Fuels Escalation
Police surveillance in early 2020 identified one courier leaving an Atlanta hotel carrying a bag of meth and heroin. When agents moved in, the suspect fled across the state line and fired an AK-style rifle, wounding a Tennessee trooper before being shot himself, the report said, adding that inside the bag was evidence tying the drugs to Mendoza’s ring.
Continuing the probe, agents uncovered connections between Mendoza and El Abuelo’s close associate. A tractor trailer that had crossed from Mexico days prior was discovered on Mendoza’s property. Upon inspection, authorities seized 850 kilograms of meth, stashed underneath the trailer floor and inside a bus on site. According to the report, Mendoza fled to Mexico soon afterward, where cartel rivals allegedly killed him over seized assets.
Cartel Leaders Indicted, Rewards Offered
American prosecutors unsealed indictments on Thursday against five members of the United Cartels, reportedly including:
- Juan Jose Farias Alvarez (‘El Abuelo’) – Grandfather and top leader, with up to $10 million reward.
- Alfonso Fernández Magallon (‘Poncho’) and Nicolas Sierra Santana (‘El Gordo’) – Leaders of nested cartel factions.
- Edgar Orozco Cabadas (‘El Kamoni’) – Mendoza’s courier-collaborator.
- Luis Enrique Barragan Chavaz (‘Wicho’) – Magallon’s second-in-command.
All five are currently believed to be in Mexico.
“These cases in particular serve as a powerful reminder of the insidious impacts that global cartels can have on our local American communities,” AP quoted Matthew Galeotti, Acting Assistant Attorney General, as saying. “The chain started with a violent cartel in Mexico and it ended with law enforcement being shot at in a small town,” Galeotti reportedly said.
The US government also slapped economic sanctions on the five individuals and the United Cartels. The Treasury Department targetted both this group and another cartel – Los Viagras.
Stepped-Up US–Mexico Cooperation
Recent months saw Mexico extradite 29 cartel operators, including Rafael Caro Quintero, and 26 more high-ranking suspects, the report said.
“We are working with the Mexican authorities to pursue these individuals,” Galeotti told AP, adding, “We expect that they’ll be helpful with us in securing the presence of these individuals in United States courtrooms.”
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