Police apprehend armed smugglers linked to foreign prison gang and cartel in US sting operation.
Three ex-convicts with weapons and drugs, including an admitted human smuggler with the Paisa prison gang, were arrested by Texas authorities.
According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, three ex-convicts, including the self-proclaimed leader of a migrant smuggling operation, were apprehended in a sting aimed at transnational gang members.
On Friday, four individuals from El Paso, including convicted felons Arturo "Tadeo" Ramirez Manzano, 27, Mario Ivan Ramirez, 21, and Corina Hernandez, 30, were charged with the felonies of unlawful possession of a firearm by felon and manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance, according to the agency.
In El Paso's Lower Valley, two rifles and almost one kilogram of cocaine were seized by Texas DPS agents executing two search and arrest warrants at an apartment complex, according to a report.
According to KFOX, Ramirez was identified in a recent shooting incident and also charged with the felony of deadly conduct discharge firearm.
Ramirez confessed to being a member of the Paisa prison gang and played a crucial role in coordinating a human smuggling operation run by La Empresa, which operates between Ciudad Juarez and El Paso, according to authorities.
According to KFOX, three individuals are currently incarcerated at El Paso County Jail, awaiting trial.
The DPS investigation was aided by the U.S. Border Patrol alien smuggling unit and Texas Highway Patrol Troopers. However, Texas DPS could not be reached for immediate comment.
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