U.S. Attorney Michael F. Easley Jr. said that the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) is "bankrolled by American drug proceeds flowing back to cartel leaders." This statement was made in a press release on November 22.
"The CJNG cartel is one of Mexico's most violent drug trafficking organizations,” said U.S. Attorney Michael F. Easley, Jr," said Michael F. Easley, Jr., according to U.S. Department of Justice. "Their brutal reign is bankrolled by American drug proceeds flowing back to cartel leaders. Our strategy is to systematically degrade the entire criminal network by taking down the traffickers running narcotics to the Carolinas and cutting off the cashflow back to Mexico. Our new Illicit Finance Task Force dismantles the financial infrastructure enabling illegal cashflows to disrupt the cartels' financial incentives."
According to the U.S. Justice Department, Cristian Fernando Gutierrez-Ochoa was arrested and charged in a federal court in California on November 19. Gutierrez-Ochoa is identified as a leading member of the CJNG, responsible for ordering large amounts of methamphetamine and cocaine into the United States and laundering profits for the cartel.
The U.S. Justice Department also reported that Oralia Rodriguez Flores faced charges related to money laundering and drug trafficking in North Carolina. She worked for the CJNG and pleaded guilty to distributing cocaine, methamphetamine, and engaging in money laundering activities, which could result in a life sentence.
"Oralia Rodriguez Flores endangered countless individuals by trafficking in large quantities of deadly methamphetamine and cocaine," said Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division, according to the Justice Department press release. Murphy added that she "knowingly and intentionally helped members from the violent CJNG cartel distribute their drugs and launder their money."
The Eastern District of North Carolina’s Illicit Finance Task Force (IFTF) assisted in Flores's arrest and prosecution, as reported by the Justice Department. The task force was established in 2024 to target criminal organizations and money laundering activities within North Carolina.
Michael F. Easley Jr., serving as a U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, was sworn into office on November 26, 2021, according to information from the U.S. Department of Justice.
