Crime Correspondent: Miami

Diego Montoya Sanchez once on the FBI's most-wanted list has pleaded not guilty to U.S. cocaine trafficking charges

Diego Montoya Sanchez once on the FBI's most-wanted list has pleaded not guilty to U.S. cocaine trafficking charges

Reputed Colombian drug kingpin once on the FBI's most-wanted list has pleaded not guilty to U.S. cocaine trafficking charges.Diego Monto...

Vicente Esteves arrested on conspiracy and money laundering charges

Vicente Esteves, 35, and his wife, Chantal, 30, masterminded a cocaine smuggling ring from their fortress-like home and amassed a wealth of luxury goods that included dozens of pairs of Prada shoes and around 100 Rolex watches. The two were arrested on conspiracy and money laundering charges after a 14-month investigation, federal and county officials said. The $1 million (£500,000)-a-week operation used commercial airline flights to move drugs from Mexico and Colombia into the United States and to send millions of dollars back, investigators said. The proceeds were then allegedly laundered through two real estate companies run by Esteves that had no legitimate business. Authorities described the opulent lifestyle the couple led behind the gates of their home in New Jersey. The couple "attempted to hide behind the beauty of suburbia," said Gerard McAleer, special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration's New Jersey office. "It's like something out of the movie 'Scarface'," he said referring to the 1983 movie in which Al Pacino and Michelle Pfeiffer play a Cuban drug dealer and his wife living a life of luxury. "They had walk-in closets where there were 100 pairs of Prada shoes, still in the boxes. There were so many they had Polaroid photos taped to the boxes to keep track of them. "There were also 100 Rolex watches," Agent McAleer said. "I'm not sure Donald Trump has 100 Rolex watches. That's the kind of money that was being made." Seven people have been arrested so far including one suspect who was found carrying $100,000 (£50,000) in cash as he attempted to board a commercial flight from Newark to Miami, authorities said. Authorities also seized 150 pounds of cocaine with a street value of $2 million (£1 million), plus $2 million (£1 million) in cash.

Vicente Esteves arrested on conspiracy and money laundering charges

Vicente Esteves, 35, and his wife, Chantal, 30, masterminded a cocaine smuggling ring from their fortress-like home and amassed a wealth of ...

Pedro Jose Benavides-Natera, goes on trial in Miami next month

Pedro Jose Benavides-Natera, goes on trial in Miami next month and more arrests may be forthcoming, thanks to a confidential informant who shed light on the drug-money-for-aircraft laundering scheme, the documents show. The documents were filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida in October. In them, FBI agent Michael Hoenigman says the informant was "personally involved with a confederation of individuals" whose job was to scout out U.S. aircraft desired by Venezuela-based drug traffickers and help broker transactions to buy them to ferry cocaine shipments around the globe.Last year's arrest of Benavides was part of a more sweeping investigation of money laundering schemes aimed at uncovering the purchase of aircraft in the United States by South American traffickers, the court documents show.Steve Robertson, a spokesman at the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in Washington, described the schemes as "very imaginative" since they involved the purchase of a tangible asset for multiple possible uses."In addition to the product, in this case an airplane that has a high resale value, it's something they can use to use for their smuggling," he said.

Pedro Jose Benavides-Natera, goes on trial in Miami next month

Pedro Jose Benavides-Natera, goes on trial in Miami next month and more arrests may be forthcoming, thanks to a confidential informant who s...

Pedro Jose Benavides-Natera a Venezuelan man has been charged

Pedro Jose Benavides-Natera a Venezuelan man has been charged with laundering drug profits to buy US aircraft to smuggle cocaine, according ...

Christine Mesyeux, Cathy Armbrester,Fabian Carlos

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPfdUcCuMQTw9yi8m3lmyN1KkQnr7pVQa6Q7fu3w_YmoJytFcDwcxTQwdYTn9CwLOqCulbrL-LbIo2Wo7b_LElj1NfEfsWAlZrxnw7GDQ4tpqWOiDWic_08heC8U-nL8EpNc4ucDin7cs/s1600-h/921-i_love_you_teddy_bear.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5154556456239557778" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPfdUcCuMQTw9yi8m3lmyN1KkQnr7pVQa6Q7fu3w_YmoJytFcDwcxTQwdYTn9CwLOqCulbrL-LbIo2Wo7b_LElj1NfEfsWAlZrxnw7GDQ4tpqWOiDWic_08heC8U-nL8EpNc4ucDin7cs/s320/921-i_love_you_teddy_bear.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" /></a> Cathy Armbrester, 32, Christine Mesyeux, 21, and Fabian Carlos, 27. Carlos has eight prior drug convictions. The arrests are a big success for the Drug Interdiction Unit, which was started three years ago to target drugs passing through York County on the interstate. "The sheriff saw that a lot of drugs are shipped through York County, and he wanted to find a way to stop a lot of that drug traffic," said Capt. Jerry Hoffman with the York County Sheriff’s Office.A child's teddy bear turned out to be the hiding place for thousands of dollars worth of drugs. Of all the arrests county narcotics agents have made in the last three years, only a few come from tips. In most cases, someone is caught speeding, weaving in the lanes, tailgating or some other minor violation that turns into much more. Deputies would not say where the suspects were heading with the drugs. Hoffman said it's true that a lot of drugs get through the county undetected, but when they do make an arrest, it's usually a fairly large amount. "You're not going to be able to get by with it all the time, every single time," he said.

Christine Mesyeux, Cathy Armbrester,Fabian Carlos

Cathy Armbrester, 32, Christine Mesyeux, 21, and Fabian Carlos, 27. Carlos has eight prior drug convictions. The arrests are a big success f...