Acting U.S. Attorney Richard Moultrie, Jr. stated, “Cruz allegedly played a critical role in the trafficking of hundreds of kilograms of cocaine into the United States.” He emphasized that Cruz’s extradition from Mexico represents a crucial step in ensuring her accountability for her purported involvement in introducing dangerous drugs into the United States and local communities. Cruz, known to be associated with an unnamed drug trafficking organization in Mexico, allegedly held the responsibility of conducting quality control tests on cocaine shipments moving from Colombia to Costa Rica and Mexico, with the ultimate aim of smuggling them into the U.S., as per authorities.
Border officials revealed that more than 1,930 packages of cocaine captured at the southern border had a collective weight of 1,532 pounds. Cruz was believed to have conspired with individuals in Mexico, Colombia, Guatemala, and other locations to oversee the transportation of cocaine from Colombia for eventual distribution in Mexico and the United States, including Atlanta. Specifically, Cruz was tasked with testing cocaine intended for distribution in Atlanta, according to federal prosecutors.
On September 3, 2015, Cruz reportedly traveled to Heredia, Asuncion, Costa Rica, to test the purity of cocaine destined for the United States. Law enforcement officials intercepted vehicles driven by Cruz’s associates leaving a stash house the following day. In the operation, authorities seized 100 kilograms of cocaine from the vehicles and an additional 221 kilograms from the stash house. The extradition of the alleged cocaine quality control tester for a Mexican drug cartel to the U.S. underscores the ongoing efforts to combat drug trafficking activities.
