Five members of the Phoenix-based Ortega-Ruano Drug Trafficking Organization pleaded guilty in federal district court to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Cruz Ortega-Ruano, age 30, Gerardo Diarte-Lara, age 27, Artemio Pena-Torrecillas, age 25; Francisco Torrecillas-Torres, age 38; and Juan Martin Tapia-Bernal, age 44, had been charged with having committed federal drug possession and distribution offenses, money laundering offenses, and weapons crimes.
All five men are from Mexico.
Ortega-Ruano was the head of the Ortega-Ruano Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO), a Phoenix-based DTO between January 2011 and April 2011. The Ortega-Ruano DTO was responsible for the distribution of pound-quantities of methamphetamine and the collection of narcotics proceeds, according to court documents.
Pena-Torrecillas, Diarte-Lara, Torrecillas-Torres, and Tapia-Bernal assisted the DTO by acting as facilitators, stash house operators, and couriers. Through the investigation into this DTO, law enforcement seized approximately 15 pounds of methamphetamine, over $200,000.00 in U.S. currency, 60 assault rifles and handguns, gun magazines, ammunition, bayonets, and vehicles from members of the DTO.
A conviction for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine carries a maximum penalty of life in prison, a $10,000,000.00 fine, or both.
All five men are scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Martone on September 10, 2012.