Drug smuggling suspects are believed to be acting on behalf of Mexican cartel

A Downey man and another from Hacienda Heights were charged in federal court in Rhode Island this week for allegedly smuggling 65 kilos of cocaine, valued at $6.6 million, from California for a Mexican drug cartel.

Authorities said that as part of the case they’d also seized $1.2 million in cash from a storage locker in the town of North Kingstown when they arrested the men in January, according to a statement from the U.S. attorney’s office in Rhode Island.

Andrew Rios, 39, of Downey, and Armando Saucedo, 30, of Hacienda Heights, were arrested and charged under Rhode Island law. Federal charges, filed this week, carry much longer sentences served without parole.

They were charged with conspiracy to traffic cocaine, along with another man, Adilson Antonio Reyes, 29, of Utah, according to a statement from the U.S. attorney’s office in Rhode Island.

According to Associated Press reports, Reyes admitted in court documents to driving large shipments of cocaine from California to Rhode Island. The operation allegedly used a tractor-trailer and a tow truck to move cocaine to a storage facility. From there, it was sent across New England, state police have said.

Authorities did not name the cartel for which the men allegedly worked.

The case is part of an investigation that began in September into cocaine trafficking into Rhode Island. Detectives focused on hotels in the towns of Pawtucket and West Greenwich.

--Sam Quinones

Comments

[Victor Frankenstein]

Andy and Armandy should thank the United States for apprehending them.
Because when the cartels are finished using people they dispose of them.

[Hakatau]

There wouldn't be cartels without Prohibition. The Drug War is ridiculous and totally unnecessary.

[Steve]

One of hundreds if not thousands of Mexican-drug-industry crews working the same gig, every day in this country.

[mike stansfield]

Wow! So much cocaine. Just think if the retrived the cocaine that these guys had how much got threw the other way. These drug traffic have to allow for so much to get busted I belive is its called collateral damage.

[Carlos]

Where and how will it end??

[Alfred Brock]

The reason these amounts of drugs and cash are so large is that the FBI and other federal agencies allow and encourage trade by the murdering criminals until they find a stash big enough to seize. They keep all cash and goods they take, you see. During the time it takes them to 'develop' the case, local and state law enforcement agents are told to leave obviously dangerous and murderous persons alone because they are part of a 'Federal Investigation'. During each of these investigations - many of which do not pan out or end in mysterious ways with the death of the person being investigated - thousands of American lives are touched in troubling and tragic ways. That's the real story and I would like to hear more about it.

[California Girl]

Ask Hector what he thinks about this.

[ken]

NO REALLY? COME ON , ILLEGAL ALIENS SMUGGLING DRUGS AND TERRORISTS INTO THE USA UNABAITED BY UNCLE SCAM? WOW UNREAL ITS ALMOST UNBELIEVABLE, IMAGINE THAT , HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN WITH ONLY 30 MILLION ILLEGAL ALIENS IN THE USA AND ONE MILLION MORE ARRIVING HERE YEARLY, FINANCED , ENABLED ENCOURAGED AND SUBSIDIZED BY GOOD OLE UNCLE SCAM.

[ken]

NO REALLY? COME ON , ILLEGAL ALIENS SMUGGLING DRUGS AND TERRORISTS INTO THE USA UNABAITED BY UNCLE SCAM? WOW UNREAL ITS ALMOST UNBELIEVABLE, IMAGINE THAT , HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN WITH ONLY 30 MILLION ILLEGAL ALIENS IN THE USA AND ONE MILLION MORE ARRIVING HERE YEARLY, FINANCED , ENABLED ENCOURAGED AND SUBSIDIZED BY GOOD OLE UNCLE SCAM.

[Jelly]

Of course they are smuggling for Mexican cartels, 80% of drugs are the product of Mexican cartels. Sad thing about it, Mexico doesn't want to take responsibility that is is the #1 exporter of drugs, and death. and they say its America's fault because America has the demand. America has the demand for bootleg products as well, but you don't hear China saying its citizens illegal activities are because of Americans demand.

Mexico has citizens that are criminal to the core, and pretending there isn't says something about the culture. from the president down to the day laborer, everyone seems to be silent, complacent, or compromised.

[Seth Greenberg]

Michael Savage said it right.

[Daniel]

Hakatau, if there wasn't a prohibition against murder would murder rates decrease? If there wasn't a prohibition against speeding, would people then drive more carefully? How about,.. if there wasn't a prohibition against prostitution, would prostitution decrease?

[Fredy]

IF ONLY "AMERICANS"=WHITE, BLACK. STOP USING DRUGS, THEN CARTELS WILL HAVE TO MOVE THEIR BUSINESS TO EUROPE WHERE ALL WHITE PEOPLE CAME FROM... PERIOD.

[Gonzalo Beltran, Jr.]

How on earth are these drugs coming into the United States? It can't be through our borders because we are being told the borders are secured and there are no problems. Then these drugs are being grown here in the United States.