Federal Government Arrest UPS Drivers for Trafficking Cocaine in South Texas
Jose Nino
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Two UPS drivers and several other men are facing drug charges connected to a cocaine trafficking ring operating out of South Texas. Ildefonso Ortiz and Brandon Darby of Breitbart News noted that court documents reveal that other individuals still face the risk of arrest.
At the end of February, the United States Attorney’s Office announced the arrest of five male suspects connected to a multi-count indictment charging them with drug conspiracy and possession. A sixth male suspect was already in custody with respect to the case.
Per the criminal indictment, there are at least 8 suspects implicated in the conspiracy.
The case kicked off back in July 2022 when DEA agents raided a house in Hidalgo County and arrested a 45-year-old man, Enrique Bernardo Gamez, after discovering over 120 pounds of cocaine at the location. Prosecutors alleged that the group was conducting operations from March to at least October 2022.
Per prosecutors, Gamez would store the drugs, while 49-year-old Orlando Candelario Almanza and 51-year-old Fidencio Salinas, who are both UPS drivers, would allegedly transport them. Allegedly, the UPS drivers would use their day jobs to cover up their drug trafficking activity. Authorities asserted that 58-year-old Jose Felipe Lozano made shipping labels for the packages, while 48-year-old Enrique Mendoza obtained cocaine bricks. Initially, court documents did not reveal which drug cartel the trafficking ring was using to obtain its supplies. Court documents also identified a sixth male suspect named Juan Antonio Cruz Ruvalcaba, but his role is still unclear. All of the individuals are still in federal custody.
Consider this another day at the office for American law enforcement. As long as the border is not properly secured, criminals and the illicit substances they bring with them will continue penetrating the southern border. Eventually, those drugs will make it on the US streets and continue causing all sorts of social ills across the country.
Instead of fixating so much on China and Russia, the US needs to get its border secure if it wants to maintain any semblance of social stability from here on out.
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