Federal Agents Arrest 3 Men in Mexico-Chicago Cocaine Pipeline After 220 Pounds of Cocaine Seize in Private Plane
A member of the Attorney General's office carries a bag with packages of cocaine to be incinerated in Ilopango, El Salvador, on August 10, 2021. - 1,370 kilos of drug were seized from six foreigners 490 nautical miles south of Punta Remedios in Acajutla, Sonsonate, on July 31, 2021. MARVIN RECINOS/AFP via Getty Images

Federal agents have arrested three men who would be facing drug charges after authorities seized more than 200 pounds of cocaine on Chicago's Near North Side that was allegedly connected to the Mexico-Chicago cocaine pipeline.

A statement from the U.S. attorney's office in the Northern District of Illinois said federal agents arrested the three individuals after discovering the alleged drugs transported from Toluca, Mexico to the Midwest in a private plane.

Mexico-Chicago Cocaine Pipeline Discovered

Chicago Tribune reported that federal agents on Monday obtained a warrant to seize the private plane, a Bombardier Challenger 600.

Based on the report, Sebastian Vazquez-Gamez, a resident of Toluca de Lerdo, Mexico, and Rodrigo Alexis Jimenez-Perez, a resident of Columbus, Indiana, were arrested in downtown Chicago last Wednesday, while another suspect Sergio Ivan Blas was apprehended in the Indianapolis area on Thursday.

According to a federal complaint, federal agents saw the private plane land at Gary/Chicago International Airport in Indiana on November 3.

The agents watched as Vazquez-Gamez and others helped an airport staff unload suitcases from the plane. The suitcases appeared to be "significantly weighed down."

Drug Traffickers Allegedly Involve in Mexico-Chicago Cocaine Pipeline Arrested

Feds then tailed Vazquez-Gamez as he left the airport with the suitcases in a Lincoln Navigator, which was driven by another person traveling toward downtown Chicago.

Vazquez-Gamez and two other individuals then checked into a hotel in the city's Gold Coast neighborhood. Later that evening, officials saw Vazquez-Gamez and another individual loading the suitcases into a white Toyota Highlander, which Jimenez-Perez drove.

Shortly before 9:30 p.m., federal agents stopped the vehicle in Chicago's River North neighborhood. Upon inspection of the vehicle, feds found the suitcases that were filled with about 80 brick-shaped packages appearing consistent with "kilogram bricks of controlled substances."

After the discovery, agents detained Vazquez-Gamez and took him back to his hotel room, where officials found an additional 20 brick-shaped packages within his luggage.

The agents performed a field test on the substance inside, which later on came back as presumptive positive for cocaine, the complaint noted.

Jimenez-Perez was also apprehended, which led to the arrest of another drug trafficker. Agents discovered Facebook Messenger communications between him and Blas, which authorities stated that he was indicated as the second man who directed Jimenez-Perez to travel to receive the cocaine.

Blas was arrested in Indianapolis, and federal agents have recovered almost $6,000 of cash and a handwritten ledger in his car.

Based on the initial investigation of the authorities, they said that the ledger appeared as Blas' record of the receipt and the distribution of large sums of money.

Jimenez-Perez and Vazquez-Gamez were expected to appear in a Chicago court this week, while Blas would appear in a court in Indiana.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Jess Smith

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