FARGO, ND (trfnews.i234.me) – Court documents related to a newly filed case in U.S. District Court in North Dakota reveal a shocking discovery: a major drug trafficking operation run by a Mexican cartel member from a federal prison in Colorado. This operation facilitated the shipment of large quantities of fentanyl, heroin, and other illegal substances to North Dakota and several other states.
A recently unsealed search warrant shows that Homeland Security investigators began their probe last spring. The investigation gained momentum on June 16, 2023, when federal agents intercepted a UPS package in Fargo containing 15,000 fentanyl pills. Subscriber information from a phone number connected to the package led investigators to 26-year-old Jesus Celestin-Ortega, serving a 15-year sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution in Florence, Colorado.
Court documents identify Celestin-Ortega, also known as Flaco, as a Mexican cartel member and part of the Mexican prison gang Paisa. Arrested in 2019 on federal drug and firearm charges, Celestin-Ortega orchestrated the drug operation from his prison cell, communicating with outside contacts via text, phone calls, and Facebook Messenger during scheduled lockdown hours. He arranged deliveries of fentanyl, meth, and heroin from Mexico to states including North Dakota, Minnesota, California, Colorado, Georgia, Missouri, Texas, and Arizona.
Seven individuals from various states, including Minnesota, Arizona, Texas, and Colorado, have been indicted. While some indictments remain sealed, several co-defendants have already appeared in court in Fargo, including Celestin-Ortega on April 26.
Celestin-Ortega faces multiple charges, including conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, distribution of controlled substances, conspiracy to import controlled substances, money laundering, and continuing criminal enterprise. The conspiracy charges carry a mandatory minimum prison sentence of ten years, with a maximum penalty of life in prison and fines up to $10 million.
The indictment details the operation’s start in January 2022, with shipments of fentanyl and meth to Fargo and 1kg of heroin to Grand Forks in early 2023. All indicted co-conspirators have entered not-guilty pleas.