ODESSA, Texas — An Odessa man is one of ten people arrested in relation to two federal indictments, charging members of an organized crime syndicate.
According to a press release from the US Department of Justice, the syndicate allegedly conspired to traffic and import about 2,000 pounds of cocaine and other controlled substances from Mexico through Los Angeles for export to Canada or re-distribution throughout the US.
Arrest and search warrants were executed on the morning of January 30th. 26-year-old Humberto Luis Bermejo of Odessa was arrested for his role in the syndicate along with nine other people from Guadalajara, Canada and California.
The investigation was called "Operation Dead Hand" and it resulted in two federal grand jury indictments in Los Angeles earlier in the month. The indictments were unsealed Tuesday and it collectively charges 19 people for their alleged roles in the syndicate.
The indictments allege the drug trafficking of about 1,860 pounds of meth, 2,092 pounds of cocaine, 44 pounds of fentanyl and about nine pounds of heroin. Over $900,000 in cash was seized and the value of the drugs was between $16-28 million.
The 18-count indictment on Jan. 4 charges 10 people for allegedly operating on an unknown date until about March 2023. The charges allege two drug trafficking conspiracies; conspiracy to import cocaine; drug exportation conspiracy, distribution or possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and being a felon in possession of ammunition. Bermejo was one of these people, although the release doesn't detail what his exact role in the syndicate was.
The others include Jesus Ruiz Sandoval Jr., 45, of Guadalajara, Mexico who currently is a fugitive, is believed to be a large-scale drug trafficker.
Also arrested was John Joe Soto, 42, of Guadalajara, who is believed to work under Sandoval. Eduardo Carvajal, 50, of Guadalajara, is also considered a large-scale drug trafficker.
Roberto Scoppa, 55, of Montreal, is an alleged Canadian drug trafficker. Ayush Sharma, 25, of Brampton, Canada and Subham Kumar, 29, of Calgary, Canada are believed to be semi-truck drivers who took the drugs to Canada. Carlos Barragan, 51, of Long Beach, California, is an alleged drug trafficker.
The other two with no specific role specified was Corell Carbajal Garcia, 38, of Hemet, California and Esteban Sinhue Mercado, 24, of San Jacinto, California.
If convicted, the defendants could face 40 years to life in prison.
To see the full release with more information, click here.