Esteban Loaiza: the drugs linked to CJNG

Translated by Otis B Fly-Wheel for Borderland Beat from a Zetatijuana article

Subject Matter: Esteban Loaiza, CJNG
Recommendation: See link to article by myself on his arrest

The ex pitcher was detained in an operation of United States authorities to dismantle a narco trafficking network under the orders of the Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generacion. Half a million dollars in cocaine in his home could cost Loaiza, who denies the accusations, which carry 20 years in prison. His girlfriend was also detained for narco trafficking. 

Reporter: Ines Garcia Ramos

As he has done regualarly, Esteban Loaiza crossed the frontier on Friday the 9th of February, when together with three other cars he was sent for secondary inspection on the frontier crossing of Otay, between Tijuana and San Diego.

This was part of an investigation by Police corporations planned to dismantle a narco trafficking network pertinent to the Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generacion, an investigation that remains open, confirms United States authorities.

During this operation, four cars transporting drugs were detained. The Mercedes-Benz vehicle driven by the ex pitcher of the Los Angeles Dodgers had been detected for crossing drugs before, as well as the three other automobiles.

During the search, agents found a hidden compartment for the transit of drugs, but without any drugs in it. It was located in the rear of the vehicle that Loaiza was driving, with all of the characteristics of a narco trap, as modifications are known on vehicles for this purpose.

Even tho the compartment was empty, according to the laws in California, it is considered a crime to utilize, possess, use and control a false compartment that is used for hiding, trafficking or transporting drugs, as Federal agents let Loaiza go, but he was closely followed by the Sheriff's department of San Diego. It was a strategy to gain some time.

While Loaiza was carrying on his route in USA territory, the agents hoped that he would commit a traffic violation so they could detain him at Imperial Beach, inspect his automobile and solicit a search warrant to enter his house located in this California locality, a community pertinent to the County of San Diego and adjacent to Tijuana.

Once the search warrant was issued, the agents entered the residence that Loaiza had rented days before and found 20 kilos of cocaine, valued at half a million dollars.

At 5.56 pm, the ex baseball star from Mexico from the Grand Leagues was admitted into County Prison at Chula Vista, California.

Loaiza denies the accusations

On the 14th of February of 2018,  the doors of Court 12 of the South San Diego County Court, in Chula Vista, were shut with the yellow warning precaution lights, at the time a group of Sheriffs brought in Loaiza.

More than 40 reporters, producers, photographers, including those dedicated to sporting programs expected to enter the room with 15 seats available for the press, to see for the first time, since his arrest the former pitcher.

On the other side of the room, Loaizas father, brothers, brother in law took their seats for the audience that lasted no more than five minutes. Judge Keri G Katz opened the hearing with a surprised expression when she saw how full the room was.

The Loazia, born in Tijuana entered for his first audience, with his wrists handcuffed at the hip, his thin appearance and slow pace seemed to accentuate his 1.88 meter height. Dressed in a Khaki prison uniform, he took a seat on the bench for the accused.

Prosecutor Ryan Karkenny began formalizing the three charges against the 46 year old from Tijuana. The crimes were transporting drugs, possession for the purpose of sale and use of a false compartment for drug trafficking.

He reported that 20 kilo grams of cocaine were located in the residence of the former player, which was located less than 300 meters from a primary school, which is an aggravating circumstance.

The second aggravating circumstance is that the weight of the drug exceeds 10 kilo grams, for which reason it was ruled out that the cocaine packages were for his own use and it is understood that the possession was for the purpose of sales.

These charges amount to a maximum sentence of 20 years and eight months in prison, the prosecution said. Loaizas private attorney, Janice Deaton, a litigant with 31 years of experience, supervised the entry of her clients relatives from the beginning. During the hearing, she was placed next to Loaiza, who did not speak during the judicial presentation, even with his lawyer.

The former baseball players interactions were limited to smiling at his family when he entered and left the room, however his lawyer reported that Loaiza had pleaded not guilty to the charges that the San Diego County Prosecutors office imputes to him and denied all the allegations against him.

Loaizas wife, also detained with drugs in San Diego

For more than a year, Esteban Loaiza began a relationship with Rosaura Labra, a Tijuana resident of 32 years of age. Through social networks, the couple showed their appointments, and trips in Mexico and the United States.

At the end of January, they went to Soxfest in Chicago, Illinois, an annual event organized by the Chicago White Sox team in which players and former players meet and greet the fans. While playing for the White Sox, Loaiza had the best success in his career during 2003.

For some programs and shows, this relationship became important because he was the ex husband of the singer Jenni Rivera, with whom he appeared not only in concerts and public events, but also in a reality show.

However, Rosaura Labra has a criminal record in San Diego, California. According to documents filed in the South County Court, to which Zeta had access, the woman was arrested on October 31st of 2005 for possession of marijuana.

The San Diego prosecutors office, in the same court in which Loaiza appeared, filed charges against her for possession of marijuana for sale and transportation purposes.

Labra pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced to three years on probation. She paid a fine of $239 dollars plus an amount of $200 corresponding to court costs.

On the day of Loaizas hearing, Rosaura Labra did not appear in the court.

Recent notices against Loaiza in Tijuana and San Diego

At the height of his career, when Loaiza played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Tijuana native acquired a residence in the residential complex, La Perla Residencial, in Playas de Tijuana. The house marked as unit 205, and measuring 642 square meters, had a cost of 3,853,385 pesos.

This is detailed in the documents of the Public Registry of Property and Commerce of Baja California and seen by Zeta. The following year, in 2008, Esteban Loaiza Veyna acquired a property of 335 square meters located next to his residence, for 365,902 pesos.

However, on May 5th of 2015, a Lien was registered against Loaiza for 10,000 dollars, because of the second property he acquired in La Perla, was part of a commercial executive trial. While according to the San Diego Public Registry, on July 21st of 2017, a tax lien notification was issued to Loaiza.

If bail is paid he cannot leave San Diego

At the time of his arrest, the bail for Esteban Loaiza was set at $200,000, but once in court, prosecutor Ryan Karkenny asked Judge Katz to change the amount to $250,00.

The reasons he explained, were due to the high profile of the former player, his links with Mexico, as he lives in Tijuana, as well as his large sums of money. All this, the prosecutor told the media, places Loaiza at greater risk of fleeing.

For its part, the defence, did not object to the amount of bail, so the Judge set it a $250,000 and, at the request of the prosecutors office, determined that the origin of the money with which it is paid will be inspected to verify that it is not of illicit origin.

If he does post bail, to continue his case in freedom, he cannot leave San Diego County. At the request of both the defense and the prosecution, the Judge granted an order of protection so that only the parties involved in the case have access to the videos filmed by the uniformed elements who participated in the arrest.

"No matter who you are, what you do or what you did, you will be prosecuted fairly", the prosecutor declared at the end of the hearing. He also explained that, since this is an open investigation, no more arrests are ruled out, especially when, "in a case like this, there are large amounts of cocaine".