MCALLEN, Texas — Federal authorities have arrested a key suspect wanted in connection with a 2007 drug conspiracy distribution that pushed ton quantities of marijuana from the Texas border to North Carolina and Mississippi. The arrest of the DEA fugitive comes after the suspect spent more than 8 years on the run. The case is yet another example of how the Gulf Cartel has been able to move ton quantities of drugs across America.
While court records remain sealed as to the arrest of Edgar Ortiz Barraza by the U.S. Marshal’s Service, Breitbart Texas was able to obtain a copy of the executed arrest warrant which stems from the 2007 case.
The case was part of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s “Operation Weed Whacker” which began in 2000 and resulted in the conviction of 11 other defendants in the case
Barraza and his brother made a connection with Shary Beu in North Carolina in order to provide him with the needed marijuana to handle the local market, court records obtained by Breitbart Texas revealed.
Using tractor trailers, the Barraza brothers, who lived in the border city of Pharr, used tractor trailers to get the large marijuana shipments to Beu in North Carolina. They then used the trailers to move millions of dollars in cash back to the border and ultimately to the Barraza’s connection in Mexico. Court records don’t mention which cartel owned the drugs. Historically, most of the drugs moved through the Rio Grande Valley come from the Gulf Cartel.
Following his arrest, Barraza went before U.S Magistrate Judge Dorina Ramos who read him his rights and is handling the hearings in Texas. He will then be transferred to North Carolina where he will face various drug conspiracy charges tied to the drug distribution network.
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