EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) — She’s accused of providing grenades for the Jalisco cartel and engaging in a lengthy list of crimes on their behalf, including migrant smuggling and firearms trafficking.
On Friday, prosecutors announced that 39-year-old Maria Del Rosario Navarro-Sanchez became the first Mexican national to be indicted on charges of providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization.
The indictment was unsealed Friday in El Paso in the Western District of Texas, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, which called it the “first in the nation.”
Navarro-Sanchez, aka “Fernanda,” aka “Chayo,” allegedly conspired with others to provide and attempted to provide grenades to Jalisco Cartel New Generation (CJNG), which was recently designated as a foreign terrorist organization.
According to the news release, Navarro-Sanchez is also charged with conspiracy to smuggle and transport aliens in the United States, straw purchasing and trafficking in firearms, bulk cash smuggling conspiracy, and conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with intent to distribute.
Prosecutors say the slew of charges brought against Navarro-Sanchez should send a “monumental message” that the U.S. is turning up the pressure to crack down on cartel activity, including the smuggling of narcotics and weapons and immigration-related crimes.
“These crimes, all included as allegations in the indictment, do nothing but place human lives on both sides of the border in grave danger, while loading the pockets of criminals who profit off of them,” said Margaret Leachman, acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas.
In February, the U.S. State Department designated eight Latin American cartels and gangs, including CJNG, as Foreign Terrorist Organizations, which allows for stronger criminal charges.
CJNG is one of the most powerful cartels in Mexico and is notorious for ultra-violent tactics against adversaries. U.S. officials say the cartel controls a significant portion of the narcotics trafficking trade and has a presence in nearly every part of Mexico and dozens of other countries, including the United States. It has also conducted attacks on Mexican military and police with military grade weaponry, the use of drones to drop explosives on Mexican law enforcement, and assassinations or attempted assassinations of Mexican officials.
“Cartels like CJNG are terrorist groups that wreak havoc in American communities and are responsible for countless lives lost in the United States, Mexico, and elsewhere,” Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a statement. “This announcement demonstrates the Justice Department’s unwavering commitment to securing our borders and protecting Americans through effective prosecution.”
Two co-defendants, Luis Carlos Davalos-Lopez, 27, and Gustavo Castro-Medina, 28, of Mexico, are charged with straw purchasing and firearms trafficking. Davalos-Lopez is also accused of conspiracy to smuggle illegal aliens into and transport aliens in the United States. Castro-Medina faces charges of conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with intent to distribute and possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute.
“The carnage left behind in the wake of the cartel is devastating to so many in the US and abroad,” stated Special Agent in Charge Bennie Mims for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Dallas Field Division. “The capture and arrest of Maria Del Rosario Navarro-Sanchez, aka Fernanda, aka Chayo, is a groundbreaking demonstration of what international law enforcement authorities can do to fight the scourge of firearm trafficking and the menace that is the narcotics cartels. This may be one of the first of these charges, but it won’t be the last. Thanks to the multi-agency, ATF-led El Paso Operation Southbound Firearms Trafficking Task Force, for their nonstop commitment to take out one of the key players in the trafficking of firearms across our borders.”
