News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 23, 2006
Contact: Matthew Taylor
Public Information Officer
915-832-6000

Federal Fugitive and Alleged Leader of Drug Trafficking Organization Sought

APR 4 -- (El Paso, TX) – John J. Riley, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), El Paso Field Division, announced the federal indictment of Jose Rodolfo Escajeda, also known as “Riquin.” Escajeda should be considered armed and dangerous and is currently a federal fugitive being sought by the United States Marshals Service and the DEA.

Since 2000, the Escajeda Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO), based in Guadalupe, Chihuahua, Mexico and led by Jose Rodolfo Escajeda, has been the subject of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation by the Texas Department of Public Safety, El Paso County Sheriff’s Office, El Paso Police Department, United States Border Patrol, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, United States Attorney’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The Escajeda DTO is predominantly involved in the illegal importation, bulk storage, and transportation of large quantities of marijuana and cocaine into the United States for Mexican drug cartels.

The Escajeda DTO maintained control of a large corridor, predominately used for trafficking narcotics, that spanned approximately 120 miles south of the United States international boundary between Mexico and El Paso, Texas. A federal grand jury indictment, returned in El Paso in December 2006, alleges that the Escajeda DTO maintained this drug trafficking corridor between 2000-2006 and was allegedly responsible for an incursion into the United States at Neely’s Crossing on January 23, 2006. This incursion was highly publicized in the international media and has drawn intense scrutiny to law enforcement activities on the southwest border since that time.

John J. Riley, DEA Special Agent in Charge, stated “Illegal activities like border incursions, drug trafficking and associated violence will not be tolerated. This indictment would not have been possible without the cooperation and critical assistance of our law enforcement partners. The DEA and its law enforcement partners will hold organizations like the Escajeda DTO accountable and responsible for their illicit activities.”

The indictment charges Jose Rodolfo Escajeda with conspiracy to import and distribute controlled substances. Upon conviction, he faces between 10 years and life in federal prison plus a maximum $4 million fine.

An indictment is merely a charge and should not be considered as evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

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