Mexican Top Cop Leaked Info To Warn Drug Cartel Members: Feds

CHICAGO, IL — A former Mexican Federal Police commander is accused of sabotaging the U.S. investigations of an international drug trafficking and money laundering organization by leaking information that warned those being targeted, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Chicago. A criminal complaint and affidavit filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago claims Ivan Reyes Arzate, also known as "La Reina," allegedly used information he was privy to as the go-between for the federal police and U.S. law enforcement to tip off drug cartel members, such as alerting them when their calls were being intercepted and divulging the identity of a cooperating source working with the DEA.

Reyes, 45, of Mexico City, was charged with conspiracy to corruptly obstruct, influence and impede an official proceeding in a complaint filed Feb. 10 but ordered unsealed Wednesday, April 5. Reyes was ordered held in U.S. custody after appearing last week before a U.S. magistrate in Chicago. His next court date is April 13.

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“The criminal complaint announced today is the first step in holding Mr. Reyes accountable for attempting to impede that bilateral cooperation by allegedly obstructing a significant investigation for personal gain," Acting U.S. Attorney Joel R. Levin said in a statement.

According to the complaint, a joint U.S.-Mexican investigation into drug traffickers in Mexico uncovered a network of high-level cartel members moving multiple tons of cocaine from Colombia to the States. Information shared by agencies in both countries passed through Reyes in his role as commander, and he would then pass along that information to the cartel.

U.S. officials first became suspicious of Reyes in September of 2016 after one of his co-conspirators sent a law enforcement surveillance photo to an alleged Mexican drug trafficker to warn him that he was a principal target of an investigation, the complaint states. Investigators also intercepted a conversation between the alleged trafficker and one of Reyes' co-conspirators, who revealed that a confidential source in the investigation was "sitting with you [the alleged trafficker] the day of the picture,” the complaint added.

A month later, Reyes' name popped up in intercepted conversations with alleged cartel members under investigation as they talked about acquiring leaked law enforcement information from "Ivan," the complaint stated.

"Who is Ivan?" the alleged drug cartel leader asked.

"The boss," he was told, referring to Reyes’ position as commander.

The investigation into Reyes is being handled by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Strike Force. The Chicago Police Department, Illinois Department of Corrections, Illinois State Police, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security also are assiting.

photo via Shutterstock

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