News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 22, 2009
Contact: Special Agent Warren Rivera
Number: (504) 840-1070
Seventeen Individuals Arrested on Various Federal and State Narcotics Charges
APR 22 -- Lafayette, Louisiana . . . New Orleans Field Division Special Agent in Charge Jimmy S. Fox III and the United States Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana, Donald W. Washington, announced today the arrests of 17 individuals on various federal and state criminal charges involving crystal methamphetamine, cocaine, firearms violations, immigration violations and racketeering investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Vermilion Parish Metro Narcotics Task Force and Lafayette Parish Metro Narcotics Task Force.
Many of the suspects were arrested during early morning raids in Lafayette, Vermilion and St. Landry Parishes, which were carried out by members of the DEA Lafayette Post of Duty, Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office, Abbeville Police Department, St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
The federal and state charges involve a scheme to smuggle crystal methamphetamine and cocaine into the United States from Mexico and then transport the illegal drugs throughout the Acadiana area for distribution.
The following individuals were arrested Monday or previously incarcerated on other charges:
FEDERAL CHARGES:
- DEMETRIO REGALADO , of Erath, Louisiana;
- JOSE LUIS REGALADO , of Erath, Louisiana;
- FRANCISCO DELGADO-GALAVIZ , of Mexico;
- ADOLFO ZIGA , of Mexico;
- COREY DOMINGUE , of Opelousas, Louisiana;
- TOBI DOMINGUE , of Opelousas, Louisiana;
- JULIAN BELTRAN , of Mexico;
- JOSE ANGEL RUIZ-CERVANTES , of Mexico;
- MARIA GUADALUPE REGALADO-OTERO , of Abbeville, Louisiana;
- AARON LANDRY , of Lafayette, Louisiana;
- AARON LOERA , of Mexico; and
- HECTOR IGNACIO ALVAREZ-VARELA, of Mexico.
STATE CHARGES:
- JOHN OLD, JR. , of Lafayette, Louisiana;
- EUGENE BRIAN , of Lafayette, Louisiana;
- JOHN SAMSON , of Lafayette, Louisiana;
- GEORGE POMMIER , of Lafayette, Louisiana; and
- GARY STILES , of Opelousas, Louisiana.
Lafayette DEA agents are currently pursuing individuals who remain at large.
United States Attorney Donald W. Washington stated “Protecting communities from the scourge of illegal drugs and drug trafficking is a core obligation of this office and federal law enforcement.”
Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s New Orleans Division, Jimmy S. Fox, III, stated: “These arrests are a result of an 18-month investigation made possible by combining resources at the federal, state and local level. DEA will continue to work closely with our law enforcement counterparts and arrest those individuals for smuggling and distributing illegal drugs into our neighborhoods.”
The Drug Enforcement Administration, Lafayette, Louisiana Post of Duty, is a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) initiative comprised of special agents of the DEA, and agents from the Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office, Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office, Lafayette Police Department, Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office, St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office, Acadia Parish Sheriff’s Office, St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office, Opelousas Police Department and the Louisiana National Guard. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley.
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