Two Loma Linda residents are among 30 alleged members of two drug trafficking organizations indicted on federal charges connected to importing cocaine and methamphetamine from Mexico into the United States, a Department of Justice spokesman in L.A. announced Wednesday.
The indictment unsealed Aug. 21 lists defendants including:
- Karine Elizabeth Barajas, 35, of Loma Linda, who allegedly smuggled narcotics into the United States, arrested Wednesday morning.
- David Lopez Hernandez, 28, of Loma Linda, who allegedly transported smuggled narcotics, arrested Wednesday morning.
Other defendants in the case are from San Bernardino, Mira Loma, Hawaiian Gardens, Long Beach and Mexico. Seven defendants named in the indictment have been arrested.
"The indictment is the result of a 20-month investigation involving federal wiretaps and conducted under the auspices of the Southern California Drug Task Force/High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force," Justice Department spokesman Thom Mrozek said in a statement.
"The investigation, which was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration, was called Operation 'Mountain Top' and charges many of the defendants in conspiracies to distribute narcotics and to import drugs from Mexico," Mrozek said.
"During the course of Operation Mountain Top, authorities seized approximately 92 pounds of methamphetamine and 50 kilograms of cocaine," Mrozek said.
Agencies that assisted in Wednesday's arrests included U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Los Angeles Police Department.
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