Federal drug probe results in 13 arrests
Posted on Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Thirteen people have been indicted in the past month in connection with distributing methamphetamine in Northwest Arkansas, federal prosecutors said.
The defendants have pleaded innocent and await trial in U. S. District Court.
Five of the 13 are suspected of being in the country illegally, assistant U. S. attorney Debbie Groom said. They are Edwin G. Alvarado, 36, Antonio Alvarado, 20, and Ever Alvarado-Lazo, 38, all of Springdale; Hipolito Barajas-Ortiz, 23, of Lowell; and Marcos Torales-Sanchez, 19, of Elm Springs.
The defendants are named in three indictments filed March 5. They were arrested in a long-term investigation by law enforcement agencies in Washington, Benton and Sebastian counties.
One indictment names Edwin Alvarado; Antonio Alvarado; Alvarado-Lazo; Nora Sanchez, 40; Kenia Chavarria, 27; and Jeovanni Castro, 26; all of Springdale; and Jose Barragan, 27, of Rogers.
All are charged with conspiring to distribute methamphetamine. Antonio Alvarado, Alvarado-Lazo, Sanchez, Chavarria and Castro also are charged with money laundering.
A second indictment names Barajas-Ortiz and Dagoberto Garcia, 39, of Lowell. The two are charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and money laundering.
A third indictment names Torales-Sanchez; Richard Kell, 55, of Rogers; Mario Vega, 30, of Springdale; and Thomas Garza, 26, of Quapaw, Okla. They’re charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
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