cont... René Arzate-García is charged in violation of Title 21, U.S.C., Secs. 960a and 841 – Narcoterrorism with a maximum penalty of life in prison and a mandatory minimum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $20 million fine; Title 18, U.S.C. Sec. 2339B – Providing Material Support to Terrorism with a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and $250,000 fine; Title 21, U.S.C., Sec. 848(a) - Continuing Criminal Enterprise with a maximum penalty of life in prison and a mandatory minimum penalty of 20 years and $10 million fine; Title 21, U.S.C., Secs. 952, 959, 960, and 963 - International Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances with a maximum penalty of life in prison and a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $10 million fine; Title 21, U.S.C., Secs. 841(a)(1) and 846 - Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances with a maximum penalty of life in prison and a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $10 million fine; Title 21, U.S.C., Secs. 952, 960 and 963 – Conspiracy to Import Controlled Substances with a maximum penalty of life in prison and a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and a $10 million fine; Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1956(h) - Money Laundering Conspiracy with a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine or twice the value of the monetary instrument or funds involved, whichever is greater.
This case was investigated and prosecuted by the California Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) as part of Operation Take Back America. HSTFs were established by President Trump in Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.
Operation Take Back America is a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
An indictment and complaint are merely allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
