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The Tennessee Conservative Staff –
A 2019 car accident in East Tennessee culminated in federal indictments from the Justice Department against Mexican cartel leaders.
On Thursday, the Justice Department unsealed indictments against three leaders and two high-ranking enforcers of the United Cartels. It is believed that all five are in Mexico.
They also announced a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the arrest of Juan Jose Farias Alvarez, also known as “El Abuelo” or “The Grandfather,” the leader of the group. Rewards were also promised in conjunction with the capture of the other four.
The indictments come as the result of an investigation that stemmed from that 2019 car crash.
According to a court affidavit, two dealers crashed near Rockwood, Tennessee. As they fled the scene of the crash, they threw a hard case filled with meth behind a building before police apprehended them.
Following the incident, police began an investigation to identify Eladio Mendoza, the man they believed to be running a large drug ring in the Atlanta area.
In 2020, police were running surveillance near an Atlanta hotel when they observed a man leaving with a large Doritos bag.
They tried to stop him as he crossed over into Tennessee, but he fled from police, shooting at them with an AK-style rifle. He was shot after one of the bullets hit an officer in the leg. Meth and cocaine were found inside the chip bag, and officers determined that the man was a lower-level dealer for Mendoza.
It was later learned that Mendoza was working with Alvarez, and police discovered a tractor trailer filled with drugs on Mendoza’s property. Mendoza ended up fleeing to Mexico where he was eventually killed by cartel members.
In addition to Alvarez, police are searching for Alfonso Fernández Magallón, also known as “Poncho”, and Nicolás Sierra Santana or “El Gordo,” who authorities say serve as heads of smaller cartels under the United Cartels.
The two other individuals being sought are Edgar Orozco Cabadas or “El Kamoni,” who was working with Mendoza, and Luis Enrique Barragán Chavaz, or “Wicho,” who serves as Magallón second-in-command, according to authorities.
“We’re working with the Mexican authorities to pursue these individuals,” said Matthew Galeotti, acting assistant attorney general in charge of the Justice Department’s criminal division. “We continue to work proactively with them, and we expect that they’ll be helpful with us in securing the presence of these individuals in United States courtrooms.”
