Three charged in sale of 60 pounds of meth to undercover agents

Three people have been arrested in Las Vegas after they negotiated the sale of 60 pounds of methamphetamine valued at $300,000 to undercover federal agents, according to a criminal complaint.

The transaction was part of an undercover investigation by California authorities and agents with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in Las Vegas, the complaint said.

The investigation is focusing on drug trafficking by the Sinaloa cartel in Mexico run by fugitive kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, who escaped from a Mexican prison in July.

The three defendants — Rumaldo Martinez, 33, and Livier Berenice Valenzuela Velasco, 20, both of Arizona, and Antonio Marioni Ortiz, 21, of Mexico — are in federal custody.

All three were charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Preliminary examinations to decide whether they should be bound over for trial were set for Dec. 23.

According to the complaint, the drugs were contained in the spare tire of a black Toyota minivan driven to Las Vegas from Arizona by one of the defendants.

Agents were told after the arrests that a Mexican citizen identified as "Jesus" asked two of the defendants to complete the sale in Las Vegas because they could cross the Mexican border "without issues."

— Contact Jeff German at jgerman@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-8135. Find him on Twitter: @JGermanRJ