9 Defendants Indicted for Drug Trafficking, Money Laundering Following HSI St. Paul, Multiagency Transnational Investigation

ARGO, N.D. — U.S. Attorney for the District of North Dakota Mac Schneider announced June 26 that nine defendants have been indicted for drug trafficking and money laundering crimes after a yearlong Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) St. Paul and multiagency transnational investigation. The following defendants have been indicted in the case:

• Jesus Amurahaby Celestin-Ortega, 26, of Florence, Colorado, is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, conspiracy to import controlled substances, money laundering conspiracy and continuing criminal enterprise.
• Trinidad Torres Meraz, 58, of Riverside, California, is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, conspiracy to import controlled substances and money laundering conspiracy.
• Edgar Hernandez aka Ivan Edgar Hernandez Vaszquez, 43, is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
• Maria De La Cruz Estrada Moreno, 40, of El Paso, Texas, is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, conspiracy to import controlled substances and money laundering conspiracy.
• Jesse Rocha, 25, of Denver, Colorado, is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
• Rafael Bueno-Nava, 49, of Fridley, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, conspiracy to import controlled substances and money laundering conspiracy.
• Ryan James Stevens, 41, of Arvada, Colorado, is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, conspiracy to import controlled substances.
• Christan Ivan Gonzalez, 31, of Phoenix, Arizona, is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
• Martina Lucia Mendez, 26, of Gilbert, Arizona, is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and conspiracy to import controlled substances.

According to court documents, since January 2022, Celestin-Ortega, also known as Flaco, allegedly engaged in drug-related and money laundering conspiracies and a continuing criminal enterprise while incarcerated at a federal prison on unrelated drug and firearm charges. Celestin-Ortega allegedly operated a criminal network using a contraband cellphone from inside the federal prison to import and distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine, more than 1 kilogram of heroin and more than 400 grams of fentanyl. He allegedly directed and coordinated the importation of the substances into the United States and their distribution within North Dakota, Minnesota, California, Colorado, Georgia, Missouri, Texas, Arizona and elsewhere. Celestin-Ortega also allegedly conspired to launder drug proceeds from the United States to Mexico.

Celestin-Ortega and six of the co-conspirators have been arrested on the indictment and have made their initial appearances in court. Hernandez and Mendez remain fugitives. If convicted, the defendants face a maximum penalty of life in prison on the drug distribution conspiracy and importation conspiracy counts and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the money laundering conspiracy counts.

An indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

This case is part of Operation Wedding Day Blues, with support from the multiagency Special Operations Division near Washington, D.C., an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation into the international trafficking of methamphetamine, fentanyl and heroin into North Dakota and other states. OCDETF investigations identify, disrupt and dismantle the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the U.S. by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multiagency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

This case is being investigated by HSI St. Paul, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the IRS Criminal Investigation division, the Grand Forks Narcotics Task Force, the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation, and the Grand Forks Police Department. The Federal Bureau of Prisons National Gang Unit provided critical investigative support from the outset and was an integral part of the investigative team.