25 Arrested in West Virginia Drug Operation Tied to Sinaloa Cartel’s El Mayo Zambada

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — Two drug trafficking organizations operating in West Virginia, one with connections to the Sinaloa Drug Cartel, were dismantled following 25 indictments by a federal grand jury. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of West Virginia announced this on Tuesday.

Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, an alleged founder of the Sinaloa Drug Cartel, pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiring to manufacture and distribute fentanyl in El Paso, Texas, after his arrest last week.

The USAO stated that the local operation tied to the Sinaloa Cartel was based in an autobody shop in Martinsburg, West Virginia. The drugs were coming from Puerto Rico via the U.S. Postal Service and from a source linked to the Sinaloa Cartel.

The following individuals were indicted:

  • Saul Alexi Padilla-Garcia, 34, of Shepherdstown
  • Juan Carlos Suarez-Lugo, 55, of Martinsburg
  • Victor Jose Canales, 45, hometown unknown
  • Alexis Alvarado, 37, of Ranson
  • Mauricio Antonio Alvarado-Flores, 37, hometown unknown
  • Olvin Luis-Melendez Robles, age unknown, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
  • Mario Pellot-Acevedo, 58, of Martinsburg
  • Eddi Heredia Cruz, 27, of Shepherdstown
  • Jose Alberto Camarena Rocha, 30, of California
  • Manuel Sanchez Gomez, 37, of California
  • Angel Lopez, 43, of Fresno, California
  • Sergio Rubio Pacheco, 33, of Fresno, California
  • Moises Marrero, 39, of Ranson
  • James Reyes, 54, of Martinsburg
  • David Reyes, 60, hometown unknown
  • Charles Edward Branson, 53, of Martinsburg
  • Danny William Mendez Delacruz, 41, of Martinsburg
  • Yan Lionel Diaz-Cruz, 27, of Ranson

Fifteen of these individuals were arrested on Tuesday. Authorities are still searching for Gomez, Melendez-Robles, and Diaz-Cruz.

In a separate case, seven people were charged after investigators seized nearly 40,000 fentanyl pills and 12 firearms in Berkeley County:

  • Delano Alan Butler, 43, of Martinsburg
  • Faith Elizabeth Small, 22, of Hagerstown, Maryland
  • Jwan Martine Smith, 38, of Martinsburg
  • Geraldine Lagata Hill, 43, of Stephens, Virginia
  • Cody Aaron Ashby, 32, of Martinsburg
  • Crystal Lyn Lewis, 34, of Martinsburg
  • Matthew James Elsea, 42, of Martinsburg

All defendants except for Smith were taken into custody.

The investigation involved dozens of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies from California to Virginia.

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