PHOENIX (CBS5) -
A federal grand jury indicted two Nogales residents for money laundering and conspiring to distribute more than 2,200 pounds of marijuana from Arizona to Maryland, Maryland police said.
Jose Valenzuela, 58, his wife, Beatriz Valenzuela, 55, and seven others were indicted after an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations and the Prince George County Police Department.
There were seven arrest warrants executed in Maryland and two in Arizona that resulted in the dismantling of a suspected drug trafficking and money laundering operation, according to Maryland police.
The indictment alleges that starting in June 2011, the Valenzuelas shipped marijuana from Arizona to Maryland, while Antonio Hill Jr., 32, and his brother Erico Hill, 31, of Hyattsville, MD, coordinated the shipment of the drugs and managed the laundering of the proceeds to suppliers in Arizona.
The indictment alleges that as part of the conspiracy, the defendants arranged financial transactions to less than $10,000 to evade IRS filing requirements and conceal large cash transactions by narcotics dealers.
The indictment also sought the forfeiture of $950,000, which was believed to be the value of the cash and property involved in the conspiracies, police said.
An initial appearance for the Valenzuelas has been set for June 11 in U.S. District Court in Tucson.
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