The Drug Enforcement Agency uncovered an alleged drug trafficking organization after one of its alleged members (may have accidentally) posted a picture of a mail package containing 234 grams of methamphetamine on a Facebook profile. He took the post down within minutes of posting, according to evidence uncovered by the DEA and exposed in a recently released application for a search warrant, but by then it was too late.
A confidential informant for the DEA took a screen shot of the post before it was taken down, sent it to the DEA. The picture included the U.S. Postal Service tracking number. That picture provided the DEA probable cause for a search warrant to intercept the package and open it. It contained 234 grams, or half a pound of meth.
That discovery gave the DEA probable cause to search the Facebook accounts of two suspects. The messages in those accounts gave the DEA probable cause to search other people’s Facebook accounts.
All of them, according to the application’s contents, contained conversations of alleged members of the drug dealing ring from Dededo openly discussing their trafficking activities, and the names of those involved.
Judge Michael Bordallo on October 18 last year signed a search warrant DEA special agent Samuel Lawver applied for after a seven-month investigation that began with a look into Jeremy Laitan Cruz, according to the application that recently was unsealed in federal court. The search warrant allowed Mr. Lawver to retrieve from Meta – Facebook’s parent company – the entirety of the Facebook activities of Jeremy Cruz, his brother Jonovan Cruz, Eric Cruz, Vincent Cruz, and Leocardia Mae Palacios.
The DEA began looking into Jeremy Cruz in March 2023, when a confidential source provided the DEA information that Jeremy Cruz was a drug dealer, according to the application. Nothing is said in the application about activities between March and September 8, 2023. That was the date the picture of the drug package was posted on Jonovan Cruz’s Facebook profile. That posting led to multiple search warrants that produced evidence – conversations of alleged drug trafficking activities – among the five named participants.
Among those conversations include what appear to be a drug transaction between Jonavan Cruz and Vincent Cruz for an ounce of meth for $1,500. The Facebook conversation included a picture that appears to show multiple 100 dollar bills and rocks of methamphetamine.
“Every day I’m hustling,” Vincent Cruz tells Jonovan Cruz in the July 28, 2023 Facebook conversation.
From August 29 to September 8, 2023, Jonavan Cruz and Eric Cruz’s Facebook messenger accounts contained messages indicating drug trafficking activities.
“I got the stuff already packed for you,” Eric Cruz wrote to Jonovan Cruz.
“How much money,” Jonavan replies.
ERIC CRUZ: I’m gonA give you half a p just give me 5grand. 4grand would be good
JONOVAN CRUZ: Bro me n ray is gonna half it
ERIC CRUZ: How bout jerm. Share with him to bro
The following day, September 9, Eric Cruz asks Jonovan about rumors that the picture of the meth mail package appeared on Facebook.
ERIC CRUZ: Bro wats going on wit rumors about a package on facebook
JONOVAN CRUZ: Ay bro tell who ever told u that fuk off Aight. Cus I only told ray about it just him
ERIC CRUZ: Leo was the one that seen it… [Then on September 12]: Yo bro that package maybe bad it’s supposed to be delivered today
That same day, another DEA agent intercepted one of the recorded phone calls made by a Guam Department of Corrections inmate – Muen Geun Kim – to a cellular number known to belong to and be used by Jeremy Cruz. A non-verbatim transcription of part of that phone call included:
“I was expecting something today but I think it’s a no go because my brother put it on his story and everybody saw his story and that’s why we don’t want to pick it up.”
“I believe that Jonovan mistakenly posted the picture containing the tracking information of the drug package to his Facebook story instead of privately messaging it to a private chat,” the DEA agent wrote in the application to federal court. “Additionally, I believe that Jeremy was referring to the same package during his conversation with Muen Geun Kim.”
On August 25 last year, Jeremy sent Jonovan a Pacific Daily News story on Facebook messenger. The story was about two defendants facing drug charges after 1.5 ounces of meth were found following a raid at a Dededo home.
JEREMY CRUZ: Just a heads up cuz I know my name got drop. Trying not keeping anything in da house bro. I’m clearing out rn and I ain’t gonna do anything for a lil bit bro .. I’m sending all my buyers to you cuz where all clearing out over here and angel don’t want to do anything here.
JONOVAN CRUZ: K bro thank.
Jeremy provided the tracking number of the intercepted package to Jonovan asking if he can ‘chk if that’s correct.’
“Eric is checking,” Jonovan replied on September 10.
On September 25, Jonovan Cruz messaged the Facebook account named Leocardia Mae Palacios, “Give me the names.” Palacios replied with a screenshot containing four names.
LEOCARDIA PALACIOS: Give 4 people $2121 tell them to send 2000 and the 121 is for the sending fee. U need to give each person 1 name and the place where it is being sent to is Sacramento California. The remaining should be 1516 let the 5Th person send $1395 cause the remaining will be for the sending fee. And when that’s all done get the paper work from ur people’s. Just to be safe. Thank you.
JONOVAN CRUZ: Am never safe bro am carrying dope too
No public records on the federal court’s file system reveal any indictments the public can see that resulted from this case.
