Rosarito Beach.- Members of a criminal group associated with the Sinaloa cartel, including three Americans, were arrested Sunday with 880 Ecstasy pills they planned to sell at bars, authorities reported.
The State Preventive Police announced that the cell was made up of seven people, including the U.S. citizens. They were detained at a hotel room after police received an anonymous tip that there was a group of people there with illegal drugs.
The detained Americans were identified as Mario Alberto Villa, 27; Luis Ángel Ponce Ramos, 19; and Alexander Rodríguez Martínez, 29, all from Los Angeles, according to authorities.
Also detained were siblings Guillermo and Norma Corona Moreno, both 25, and Yaneth Carrasco Agüero, 30, all three from Ensenada; and Armando Santos Tejeda, 25, from Tijuana.
Police agents entered the hotel room and found that Villa allegedly had 340 pills known as Ecstasy, while Guillermo Corona allegedly had another 340 pills.
The rest of those detained each had 20 pills, authorities said. In addition, police found 100 pills in the vehicles the suspects were driving, a Chevrolet Silverado pickup and a Chrysler 300.
Police estimated that the drugs had a street value of $17,500.
The group planned to sell them at bars and night clubs in Rosarito Beach, taking advantage of the increase of tourism during this time, according to authorities, who said the detained had confessed.
The police agency reported that the suspects said they were associated with the Sinaloa cartel, whom they paid to be able to distribute the drugs in this city.
The detained were turned over to federal authorities for prosecution.
Omar.millan@sandiegored.com
