Steve Neavling

A Mexican drug cartel is accused of using Bank of America Corp. to invest money generated from selling cocaine into U.S. horse racing, Bloomberg reports.

Jose Trevino-Morales, the brother of the cartel’s alleged leader, was indicted by a grand jury June 11.

“The ultimate goal of this money laundering operation was to provide Jose Trevino with apparent legitimate assets purchased and maintained by illegally obtained money,” Preece , a special agent with the FBI, said in a statement.

Court filings show that Los Zetas drug cartel  is one of the largest in Mexico and funnels thousands of kilograms of cocaine into the U.S. each year, according to Bloomberg.

OTHER STORIES OF INTEREST

• FBI Investigates $17 Million Missing from Silicon Valley Money Manager
• Cell Phone Carriers Report Higher Demand in Surveillance 
• Brother of Former U.S. Attorney General Dies
• Money Manager Under Federal Investigation May Have Faked Suicide
• DEA Agents Kill Pilot, Drug Smuggler in Honduras 

The federal whistleblower in the scandal known as Operation Fast and Furious says in an interview with Fox News he’s “disheartened and disappointed” by the follow-up investigations.

ATF Special Agent John Dodson said he’s frustrated with the government’s response to his February 2011 complaints, which revealed that ATF was encouraging gun dealers in Arizona to sell to straw purchasers, all with the hopes of tracing the guns to the Mexican cartels. Some of those guns surfaced in crime scenes on both sides of the border.

Records show the ATF sent about 2,500 guns to a cartel as part of an investigation, and some of those weapons are believed to be responsible for the deaths of Mexicans and Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry, according to Fox News.

By Danny Fenster

It was a busy day for authorities with the DEA and local law enforcement in San Antonio Thursday, where agents rounded up and brought to federal court 6 of 17 suspects facing murder, racketeering and drug charges, reports Kens5.com

The suspects were members of the Texas Syndicate. The indictment claims the suspects were involved in four murders, two attempted murders, conspiracy to commit murder, drug trafficking and other crimes as part of the Texas Syndicate gang since January of 2008, according to Kens5.com.

The defendants face life sentences for each racketeering charge and up to 10 years for conspiracy to commit murder. The arrests came at the end of an 18 month investigation between a DEA Task Force, US Marshals Service, the ATF, IRS and local law enforcement agencies.

To read more click here.

By Allan Lengel

These days Mexico chalks up far more defeats than victories when it comes to battling the increasingly violent drug cartels.

But Thursday, Mexico authorities declared a major victory when one of the  top three leaders of Mexico’s  most potent drug cartel, Ignacio “Nacho” Coronel, was killed in a gunfight with soldiers, the Associated Press reported.

AP reported that Coronel was killed near the city of Guadalajara.

To read more click here.

As violence spins out of control in Mexico and across the U.S. border, these type of indictments are good. But there’s so many other folks out there willing to take over the lucrative drug trade. In other words: Both countries have to keep plugging away.

By James Vicini and Jeremy Pelofsky
Reuters
WASHINGTON – Ten accused Mexican drug cartel leaders were among 43 defendants charged with conspiring to smuggle billions of dollars worth of cocaine into the United States, but most of them remain at large, U.S. authorities said Thursday.

The United States, which has been seeking to crack down on drug trafficking and violence along the border with Mexico which has escalated recently, seeks the forfeiture of more than $5.8 billion in drug proceeds as part of the charges.

They announced the charges brought in New York and Chicago against the accused leaders and other high-ranking members of several of Mexico’s most powerful drug cartels, along with other Mexican and U.S. defendants.

For Full Story

Read Justice Dept. Press Release

Pres. Felipe Calderon

The menacing drug trade in Mexico not only spells trouble for that nation, but the U.S. as well. Here’s the latest in what seems to be a never ending battle.