The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), Arizona’s Attorney General Tom Horne, and Tohono O’Odham Nation Police Chief Joseph Delgado today announced the arrests of 27 of 46 suspected members of the Jesus Valencia Rodriguez drug trafficking organization, who work on behalf of the Mexican Sinaloa Cartel, on charges of running a drug enterprise, money laundering and human smuggling, amongst other charges.
Since 2008, Jesus Valencia Rodriguez has been identified as the Mexico-based gate keeper working for the Sinaloa Cartel. Valencia-Rodriguez is responsible for coordinating importation of multi-ton quantities of marijuana and illegal aliens from Mexico into the United States through the San Miguel Gate area, located on the Tohono Indian Reservation and the smuggling of bulk drug proceeds and assault weapons back into Mexico.
The Tohono O’Odham Indian Reservation allows tribal members to pass freely between the United States and Mexico.
