San Diego Criminal Defense Lawyer Blog

San Diego drug tunnels used by the Sinaloa Drug Cartel were recently discovered to smuggle bricks of marijuana across the border.

The trafficking tunnels were discovered in Otay Mesa in which they were directly connected to a site in Tijuana. These tunnels were constructed by Mexican mining professionals which took only months to build. Victor Clark-Alfaro, a San Diego State University Professor, has been tracking drug tunnel construction since the 1980’s. Clark-Alfaro says that the cartels invest about a million dollars into the tunnels and double and sometimes triple their investment before U.S. authorities even discover the tunnels.

Clark-Alfaro also says that the tunnels usually begin and end in a house. Mexican day laborers are hired to dig the tunnels. The dirt generated from the tunnel construction is then trucked off. Joe Garcia, ICE Deputy special agent says “What they do is bring someone in... that has experience and then can direct unskilled laborers to do digging." The authorities have ground radar technology to detect underground tunnels but none of their equipment has worked 100 percent. Garcia says the best way to detect the tunnels is with human intelligence. The ground radar technology that ICE presently uses, can only detect the underground drug trafficking tunnels down 10 to 12 feet. The current tunnels constructed are now 3 to 6 times deeper than that.

If you have been charged for a San Diego drug crime it may be in your best interest to seek legal advice from a San Diego Criminal Defense Attorney.

Expert: Drug Tunnels Took Cartel Months To Build, 10news.com, November 29, 2010

Feds uncover drug tunnel, 20 tons of pot seized, Fox 5 News, November 29, 2010

Continue reading " San Diego Drug Tunnel Discovered from the U.S. to Tijuana " »

San Diego Sex Offenders were arrested during a California sex offender sweep.

Throughout the week-long endeavor, 79 total convicted San Diego sex offenders were arrested due to violations of their parole conditions and are now being brought back to prison as a result. This effort was a part of “Operation Safe Playgrounds” which is an organization that intends to prevent sex crimes against children. State Parole Administrator, Maritza Rodriguez, conducted the statewide sweep that stretched from the border of California and Oregon to the San Diego-Mexico border.

Many of the San Diego criminal sex offenders were found by GPS technology which enabled authorities to get within feet of the sex offenders who had ankle tracking devices around their legs. David Oyos, a person who is a part of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force said “We’re checking the phones and we’re going through messages, we’re going through internet history and pictures to see if there is anything that has to do with child exploitation.” If the suspects are found to be in violation of their parole, their tracking device is removed and the sex offender is thrown back in prison.

Police used another tactic in order to catch sex offenders. Police had dozens of parolee sex offenders waiting outside the San Diego Parole office, who thought they were there for a presentation, but to their surprise were in fact there to be searched. A few were in possession of pictures of naked children. A total of 417 registered sex offenders were detained throughout California.

Arrests Made In State's Largest Sex Offender Sweep, 10news.com, November 19, 2010

78 jailed during sex offender sweep, Fox5sandiego.com, November 19, 2010

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A San Diego crime involving resident, Nima Ali Yusef, is being charged with aiding a Somali terrorist organization.

The 24-year-old suspect is to stay behind bars while her San Diego Criminal Lawyer, Charles Rees, gathers information to help build her a case that will grant her bail. Attorney Rees told U.S. Magistrate Judge Nita Stromes that he needed an extended amount of time to investigate Yusef’s case before he could ask for bail during a hearing on Thursday. Yusef may be held in custody without bail regardless due to possible immigration issues. San Diego Defense Attorney Rees also requested to see two sealed search warrants to help build the case of the San Diego terrorist crime. Stormes granted the warrants to be unsealed and set another hearing date for November 29.

Yusef is being criminally charged for giving money and personnel to the Somali-based terrorist group Al-Shabaab. The San Diego criminal charges against Yusef are making false statements to investigators, conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, and conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, her case is not related to a similar case of three men who also supported and provided aid to the same terrorist group. Al-Shabaab is known for assassinations, bombs, explosives, atomic weapons, and suicide bombings in order to frighten and destabilize Somalia’s government and its supporters.

Woman accused of supporting Somali terrorists to remain jailed pending bail request, KFMB News 8, November 18, 2010

Woman Charged With Terrorist Ties Remains In Jail, 10news.com, November 18, 2010

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San Diego murder suspect, Lance Cpl Patrick Thomas Poteat was sentenced Wednesday for the slaying of his nineteen year old, stripper bride of two months in January. The Marine, stationed in Miramar is facing a prison sentence of fifteen years to life.

The San Diego homicide happened on January 5 when Poteat allegedly murdered his wife, Kalyn O’Barr Poteat by strangulation as well as slitting his own wrists, which proved to be ineffective. The San Diego murder suspect was arrested in Joshua Tree after a confession note was found on the refrigerator in the apartment they shared together. Although Poteat himself made no comment during the sentencing, the victim’s loved ones shared what they had to say.

Kalyn’s closest friend, Helena Pepper’s voiced that “Every time I see her face and you killing her. You took her life with your hands. What could she have done that was so bad?” She also stated that Poteat tore Kalyn from their lives. “I have so much trouble accepting the fact she’s gone. I’m lost without her; I want my best friend back.” Poteat had no comment.

While Poteat spent Christmas in Georgia last year, he stated that he received text messages from his wife that said she was going to leave him. Poteat also didn’t approve of his wife’s chosen profession, which was stripping at Goldfinger’s Gentlemen’s Club under the name Darla. Mike Holden, a San Diego police Detective, indicated that Poteat strangled his wife using an electrical cord while she was asleep. Holden answered that “he [Poteat] never should have done that; he didn’t know why he did it. Then he said he murdered her.” Poteet’s San Diego criminal lawyer exclaims that he shows regret for his actions for this San Diego violent crime.

Marine Sentenced For Killing Stripper Wife, 10News.com, November 10, 2010

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San Diego alleged murder suspect Julio Angel Garcia-Puente pled guilty on Wednesday to the charges of arson and the murder of his 38-year-old wife Lorena Gonzalez.

Investigators believe that Garcia murdered Gonzalez before setting her car ablaze. The car was found in the parking lot of the UC San Diego Campus off of Voigt Drive. The San Diego violent crime occurred on October 30.

Firefighters discovered Gonzalez’s charred body in the car shortly after extinguishing the fire. A postmortem examination deemed Gonzalez a victim of murder; however the results of the autopsy have not been released to the press. The bail is set for $1 million and if convicted, Garcia could face 26 years to life in prison.

Garcia is not a legal U.S. citizen and was detained in Tijuana last Friday where he was then released to San Diego Detectives. Authorities described the San Diego murder suspect as an “unemployed transient” who was often seen around Carlsbad and San Marcos.

Estranged Husband Pleads Not Guilty in UCSD Murder, Arson Case, San Diego 6 The CW, November 10, 2010

Man Accused Of Burning Wife, Car Pleads Not Guilty, 10news.com, November 10, 2010

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A North San Diego County warrant sweep ends with thirty-two people under arrest.

The sweep which covered the coastal communities of Encinitas, Leucadia, Cardiff by the Sea, Rancho Santa Fe, Del Mar and Solana Beach began at 6:00 a.m. on Saturday morning, according to Del Mar Sgt. Joel Wigand.

The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department along with Deputies from the Encinitas Sheriff’s Station, sheriff’s detectives from the Fugitive task force, and the Vista Court Service Field Unit all covered the coastal areas looking for fugitives with outstanding warrants for San Diego felony and misdemenor crimes.

Thirty-two people were taken into custody. Most of them were for misdemeanor crimes. A portion of the arrests made were wanted for felony crimes. If you have been arrested for a San Diego crime it may be in your best interest to obtain legal assistance from a San Diego criminal lawyer.

32 Arrested During North County Warrant Sweep, 10news.com, November 6, 2010

ENCINITAS: 32 arrested on outstanding warrants, North County Times, November 6, 2010

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