Seven individuals have been brought up on federal charges involving a comprehensive narcotics conspiracy, including murder and racketeering, according to an indictment unsealed recently in White Plains federal court. The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, alongside Christopher G. Raia of the FBI's New York Field Office, disclosed the charges against Carlos Molina Rodriguez, Samuel Blain, Carlos Martinez, Kalif Cox, Justice Beard, Calvin Lewis, and Emmanuel Idyis. The indictment details their alleged involvement in importing and distributing large quantities of illegal drugs—specifically crystal meth, cocaine, and fentanyl—across the United States.
The accused parties reportedly operated a Mexico-based organization known as the "MOLINA DTO." Drivers were recruited within the U.S. by the group's leaders, including Molina and Blain, to smuggle narcotics from Mexico using specially modified minivans. These vehicles were driven across state lines and, ultimately, to places like Middletown, New York. The organization is responsible for smuggling dozens of kilograms of illegal drugs into the U.S. over several years. In a statement obtained by the Department of Justice, Jay Clayton emphasized the defendants' "troubling indifference to the safety of New Yorkers that cannot be tolerated."
Amongst the seven arrested, some are alleged to have engaged in additional criminal activities. These include shootings, firearms trafficking, robberies, and the creation of child pornography. Particularly notable is an incident where an innocent bystander, Amed Alberto Alvarado Baquedano, was killed during a gang-related shootout in Newburgh on September 21, 2019. This tragic event is one of the many violent acts attributed to the defendants tied to a street gang known as the Forbes List, a subset of the larger Makk Ballas gang, according to the Department of Justice. Martinez's role as leader of Forbes List connected the gang with the drug trafficking operations of the MOLINA DTO, allegedly helping to transport drugs from Mexico into the U.S.
The prosecution of this case falls to the White Plains Division of the United States Attorney's Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan W. Allison, Justin L. Brooke, Jennifer N. Ong, and Margaret N. Vasu are tasked with handling the matter. The collaborative investigative efforts, which led to the arrests and indictments, included numerous agencies, from the FBI Hudson Valley Safe Streets Task Force to local police departments throughout New York. Kalif Cox faces a charge of murder for the Newburgh incident among other offenses, showcasing the breadth of the criminal activities associated with the defendants. Additionally, Martinez and Beard have been charged with illegal possession of ammunition and firearm possession in connection with drug dealing in New York, respectively.
