Twenty-three suspects, including two former federal employees, have been indicted in illegal marijuana manufacturing and distribution operations that spanned multiple properties in Fremont, El Paso and Pueblo counties.
Nine of those individuals have been arrested. Law enforcement is working on locating and apprehending the outstanding suspects.
According to the indictment, the large-scale illegal marijuana grow centered its production operations at 227 Hole in the Wall Road in Fremont County.
Nine indicted after large-scale illegal marijuana grow busted in Fremont County
According to a press release from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation on Thursday, Onel Vicente Martinez, 32, his wife Martha Vicente Romero,41, a federal employee of the U.S. Bureau of Prisons at the time the alleged crimes were committed, and Mario Armando Leyva Hernandez, 48, a federal employee of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, were the alleged ringleaders of a racketeering and Drug Trafficking Organization(s).
According to the indictment, all its members were connected through relationships in the Cuban community, originating in Florida through Martinez. He and Romero managed the illegal grow in Fremont County. Romero owned the property and oversaw daily activities to grow marijuana and obtained workers to assist its daily operations, the indictment states.
The suspected activity occurred between Jan. 1, 2020, and Oct. 1, 2021, consisting of two full grow cycles.
“These indictments wouldn’t be possible without the extensive coordination and collaboration with our public safety partners in Colorado and across state lines to address these far-reaching operations,” said CBI Director Chris Schaefer in a statement. “While Colorado has legalized marijuana it is not legal for illicit marijuana operators to cultivate marijuana without a license with the intent of exporting it to states where the drug remains illegal and lucrative for criminals.”
As the indictment alleges, these ringleaders recruited members for their DTOs (drug trafficking organizations) from Florida and other areas to operate illegal marijuana manufacturing, processing and distributing operations.
"Such DTOs exhibited a distribution of labor through a hierarchy and different levels within the organization," the press release states.
The investigation began after a violent shootout at one of the properties in Fremont County, where a 57-year-old female was hit by gunfire while holding an 18-month-old. The female survived her injuries, and the toddler was not harmed. The investigation alleges the shooting was related to the robbery of a marijuana manufacturing site by members of the DTO.
Search warrants of the involved properties in Fremont, Pueblo, and El Paso counties led to the seizure of 1,150 illicit marijuana plants, approximately 869 pounds of marijuana product, some packaged for distribution, 13 firearms - some stolen, approximately 3.23 grams of methamphetamine, the recovery of stolen heavy equipment, and the recovery of stolen vehicles, trailers and a UTV.
The indictments name the following individuals who allegedly engaged in a scheme of manufacturing and processing marijuana in Fremont, Pueblo and El Paso counties, which was then to be illegally distributed out of state, bypassing enacted regulations and tax requirements:
- Mario Armando Leyva Hernandez, age 48 (28 Charges)
- Onel Vicente Martinez, age 32 (13 Charges)
- Antony Aleman Rosete, age 36 (13 Charges)
- Martha Vicente Romero, age 41 (11 Charges)
- Duniesky Hurtado Sotolongo, age 39 (7 Charges)
- Ricardo Garcia Licourt, age 49 (6 Charges)
- Raciel Torres Giro, age 61 (6 Charges)
- Diosnel Hernandez Vicente, age 39 (5 Charges)
- Juan Grau Reyes, age 30 (5 Charges)
- Luis Enrique Peron Hernandez, age 51 (5 Charges)
- Laudis Barrueto, age 50 (5 Charges)
- Raciel Ochoa Acosta, age 25 (5 Charges)
- Carlos Manuel Torres Bandera, age 58 (5 Charges)
- Fernando Padilla Herrera, age 58 (4 Charges)
- Ariel Acosta Rizo, age 40 (4 Charges)
- Yanaisa Yapur Guevara, age 45 (4 Charges)
- Glenarvan Leyva Matos, age 46 (4 Charges)
- Yunior Vasquez Martinez, age 42 (4 Charges)
- Julio Ledezma Duarte, age 29 (4 Charges)
- Sascha Diaz Friol, age 45 (4 Charges)
- Yunier Portieles Chavez, age 37 (4 Charges)
- Amelia Cardoso Carballo, age 28 (3 Charges)
- Paulo Sergio Pascual Acosta, age 29 (3 Charges)
Those arrested include Ariel Acosta Rizo, Ricardo Garcia Licourt, Juan Grau Reyes, Mario Armando Leyva Hernandez, Fernando Padilla Herrera, Yunier Portieles Chavez, Onel Vicente Martinez, Martha Vicente Romero and Yanaisa Yapur Guevara.
The 11th Judicial District, District Attorney's Office presented evidence to the grand jury and was able to secure indictments for the following charges for the suspects:
- Colorado Organized Crime Act - Pattern of Racketeering (F2)
- COCCA - Conspiracy (F2)
- Controlled Substance-Special Offender-Deadly Weapon (DF1)
- Controlled Substance Special Offender-School/Housing (DF1)
- Marijuana/Concentrate-w/Int >50Lbs/25Lbs (DF1)
- Marijuana/Concentrate-w/Int >50Lbs/25Lbs-Consp (DF2)
- Marijuana/Concentrate-Poss <50Lbs/25 Lbs (DF2)
- Marijuana/Concentrate-Poss <50Lbs/25 Lbs-Consp (DF3)
- Marijuana Cultivation – 7 to 30 Plants (DF4)
- Marijuana Cultivation – 7 to 30 Plants - Consp (DF3)
- Knowing Allows Controlled Subst Mfg on Land (DF3)
- Marijuana Cultivation - 30/More Plants (DF3)
- Marijuana Cultivation - 30/More Plants-Consp (DF4)
- Marijuana/Conc-Poss <50Lbs/25Lbs (DF2)
- Marijuana/Conc-Poss <50Lbs/25Lbs Consp (DF3)
- Child Abuse - Manufacture Controlled Substance (F3)
- Money Laundering-Transfer/Promote Crime (F3)
- Taxation - Filing False Return (F6)
- Taxation – Tax Evasion (F6)
- Tampering With Physical Evidence-Destroy (F6)
- Controlled Substance Poss Sch I/II/III/IV/V (DM1)
- Controlled Substance-Maintain Property/Distribution (DM1)
Guevara and Rizo were arrested March 12 after they were caught coming back into the country from Cuba where they have family, Deputy District Attorney Mark Hurlbert said during a bond hearing on March 13. He said neither of the defendants has any known ties to the community or the state.
Based on their lack of criminal history, Magistrate Claire Colette LeBeau modified their bonds to $5,000 cash only. They have since bonded out of jail. Bond conditions include no contact with the co-defendants, they must sign a waiver of extradition and surrender their passports.
"We at the Miami Police Department know that the key to keeping our Magic City safe and vibrant is to develop relationships with our community stakeholders," said Miami Police Chief Manuel Morales in a statement. "We proudly join our Federal sister agencies to create a strong partnership and carry out our public safety mission. I am extremely proud of all the men and women who put their efforts together to derail this narcotics activity."
In a statement, DEA Rocky Mountain Field Division Acting Special Agent in Charge David Olesky said the number of indictments achieved as a result of this investigation demonstrates how expansive this organization was.
"In addition, the evidence in this case also reveals the ever-present correlation between illegal drug trafficking and violence," he said. "As a result of the collaborative efforts of regional law enforcement, this organization will no longer pose a threat to the local community.”
The arrests stem from a joint investigation between the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration Rocky Mountain Division, the Rocky Mountain HIDTA Front Range Drug Task Force, the Colorado Department of Revenue - Tax Enforcement Section, the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Inspector General, and the CBI, along with the assistance of the 11th Judicial District, District Attorney's Office, DEA HIDTA Group 43 Miami Division, the City of Miami Police Department, the Cañon City Police Department and the Collier County Sheriff's Office.
"We appreciate the substantial time and effort that law enforcement dedicated to this investigation that ultimately led to this indictment," said 11th Judicial District, District Attorney Linda Stanley, in the press release. "The downfall of this criminal organization is the result of a collaborative effort between our office and law enforcement that occurred throughout the investigation and continues today. The message is clear that citizens of the 11th Judicial District and our office will not tolerate this kind of criminal activity where we live and work."
