The Federal Prosecutor's Office informed that last November 20, 3.5 million dollars in cash, 24 kilos of fentanyl, 685 kilos of cocaine, bulletproof vests and thousands of ammunition cartridges were seized in a truck depot in Otay Mesa; all belonging to the Sinaloa Cartel.

This was considered by prosecutors as the largest of its kind in the Southern District of California, where two Mexicans and an American, linked to this cartel, were also arrested: Jesús Burgos Arias, 32 years old (Chula Vista), Juan Alatorre Venegas, 44 years old (Tijuana) and José Yee Pérez, 54 years old (Tijuana).

These men were charged in a federal court in San Diego on Tuesday, November 24, with drug trafficking conspiracy. They will be transferred from San Diego Central Jail to federal custody and scheduled to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Barbara L. Major this week.

The Federal Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), the U.S. Attorney's Office, the San Diego Police Department, the San Diego County Sheriff's Department and the Department of Homeland Security Investigations were involved in achieving this result.

"By working collaboratively with our state and federal law enforcement partners, we are able to announce this strike against the Mexican cartels operating in San Diego," said DEA Special Agent in Charge John W. Callery.

This case is part of a five-year investigation led by the Southern District of California, which, in total, has resulted in charges against more than 125 people and has had a significant impact on the Sinaloa Cartel's worldwide operations, according to a statement. The investigation began in late 2011, when authorities thought it was a small-scale drug distribution cell in National City and Chula Vista, but continues today.

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