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For Immediate Release |
Contact: |
| July 12, 2011 |
Deputy Mayra Contreras, Public
Affairs Officer U.S. Marshals Service - El Paso, TX (915) 892-9811 |
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Narcotics Fugitive Nabbed by Task Force Charged with 3,000 Pound Marijuana Conspiracy |
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The El Paso based multi-agency fugitive based task force focused their investigative efforts at identifying several individuals likely to have been in recent contact with Hinojos. Officers established surveillance at several known locations frequented by Hinojos. During several interviews with family and associates, task force officers initiated surveillance with a former paramour of Hinojos. The female ultimately led officers to a residence in the 7800 block of Mesa. Officers resumed surveillance of the residence and after a brief period were able to identify Hinojos and move in for the arrest. Hinojos was remanded to the custody of the El Paso County Detention Facility pending his initial appearance before a United States Magistrate Judge. The United States Attorney's Office in El Paso is presently reviewing investigative activity to consider further charges against individuals who may have harbored Hinojos as well as providing false statements to federal authorities.
Robert R. Almonte, United States Marshal for the Western District of Texas
states, "The Lone Star Fugitive Task Force is committed to using all resources
at their disposal to hunt down fugitives who have no regard for the rule of
law."
Additional information about the U.S. Marshals can be found at http://www.usmarshals.gov. #### |
El
Paso, TX - Ernesto Hinojos, 23, of El Paso was arrested yesterday without
incident by the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force. Hinojos was the target of an
Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force investigation and was subsequently
indicted by a federal grand jury for his role in a Conspiracy, alleging his
possession with intent to distribute approximately 3000 pounds of marijuana and
over 5 kilograms of cocaine.