PHOENIX, Sept. 13 (UPI) -- Arizona has indicted 16 alleged members of a Mexican drug cartel on charges of smuggling contraband through Arizona to many states, authorities say.
Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard announced the state grand jury indictment Monday, KTAR-TV, Phoenix, reported.
The defendants are charged with conspiracy, illegally conducting an enterprise and other crimes related to their alleged involvement smuggling cocaine, marijuana and heroin across the Mexico-Arizona border into Illinois, North Carolina and other states.
Among those indicted were Roque Aceves-Beltran, 45, Rey Cuen-Villareal, 38, and Teresa Cuen-Leon, 33, all of Phoenix, Evodeio Cruz-Beltrain, 39, of Los Angeles and Jose Munoz-Alcaraz, 49, of Mexico, KTAR said.
The other defendants' names were withheld because they had not been served with indictments.
"These organized criminals are highly sophisticated smugglers," Goddard said. "We must expand our efforts to investigate and dismantle the cartels to truly secure our border with Mexico."
