Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested eight suspects, including a former cartel member, in connection with a drug deal gone wrong for the buyers who ended up being kidnapped and beaten. The ringleader of an international drug smuggling operation, Edward Alvarez, age 40, of Litchfield Park, is a former Sinaloa Cartel member according to the Department of Justice.
Alvarez was the first of the group to be arrested on March 25, 2013, following a March 24, 2013 incident. On March 24th, three persons met with Alvarez’s group to purchase drugs only to find out that they were victims of a drug rip in which they were being robbed of their cash.
Emmanuel Acosta, 26, Moises Saldana-Gallegos, 30, and Searn Jerome Simmons, Jr., 43, had arranged to purchase 180 pounds of marijuana from Alvarez and his associates. The victims are residents of Phoenix, El Mirage and Tampa, Florida, respectfully. They were zip-tied, physically assaulted and thrown in vehicle trunks by assailants wearing police body armor, badges, ballistic helmet and a Phoenix PD patch during the crime. When Acosta managed to escape, the other two were released.
When Alvarez was arrested at his Litchfield Park home on North Almanza Drive, Sheriff’s Detectives discovered large amounts of cash hidden in a wall, several weapons, and an array of police badges and other law enforcement identifiers
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Sheriff’s Detectives believe that one more member of the Alvarez group who participated in the crime is still at large and has yet to be named.
The Arizona victims are members of the West Valley gang known as Varrio Tolleson Chicanos. Alvarez had celebrated the $60,000 to $95,000 haul by taking the rip crew out for pizza and drinks.
The other suspects arrested are:
Victor Vasquez-Duarte (DOB 11-16-74)
Johnny Ray Fernandez (DOB 8-30-67)
David Anthony Ybarra (DOB 8-24-80)
Frank Daniel Ybarra (DOB 12-4-78)
Guadalupe Ortega (DOB 4-10-70)
“Drug trafficking is a violent as well as illegal activity,” said Sheriff Joe Arpaio. “During these precarious times for our nation it is troubling to learn that these criminals are impersonating law enforcement. We need to remain ever vigilant and alert,” said Sheriff Joe Arpaio.
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Brothers Robert E. Varner, age 20, and Brandon Jesus Varner, age 19, both of Tolleson, were the last two arrests to date, which came on April 12, 2013.
