Alleged Cartel Operatives Arrested in Phoenix Shopping Center Parking Lot with Dodge Ram Carrying Drugs

EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) – Two individuals are now facing federal charges after their arrest for allegedly attempting to deliver a substantial quantity of methamphetamines from a Mexican drug trafficking organization, with the intention of distributing the drugs within the Phoenix area. The accused persons, Rosalio Macedonio Osuna Tapia and Carlos Ivan Martinez Audelo, were apprehended following a brief foot chase that occurred in the parking lot of a store on South Central Avenue in Phoenix on December 19, according to court records.

Law enforcement officials became aware of Osuna and Martinez after a drug trafficker from Mexico contacted an individual in the United States, seeking to sell 100 pounds of methamphetamine at a wholesale price of $130,000. This individual, who is now working as a confidential informant for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), promptly alerted the agency about the information.

Subsequently, the informant agreed to purchase the drugs, and the Mexican trafficker informed them that a “Phoenix-based coordinator” would contact them. It is alleged in a federal complaint that Osuna reached out to the informant and arranged for the transaction to take place on the same day, but in two separate phases. Initially, the informant would receive and pay for 30 pounds of meth. If the transaction went smoothly, the remaining 70 pounds would be delivered at a later time.

Osuna was reportedly responsible for selecting the delivery location. Consequently, the DEA and other partnering law enforcement agencies initiated surveillance that afternoon. Their observations revealed Osuna meeting with the informant and subsequently making a phone call to a drug courier, later identified as Martinez, according to records.

Shortly thereafter, a red Dodge Ram 1500 pickup truck arrived in the parking lot. Osuna and the informant approached the cargo bed of the truck to inspect its contents. The informant verified that the cargo indeed contained drugs and signaled law enforcement officers to intervene. In an attempt to evade capture, both Osuna and Martinez allegedly tried to flee but were swiftly apprehended. A field test conducted on the seized drugs confirmed the presence of methamphetamines.

During the subsequent investigation, Osuna declined to provide any statements to the investigators following his arrest. However, Martinez reportedly volunteered information, admitting that his purpose for being present was to deliver drugs to a buyer. He consented to a search of his cell phone, which led investigators to discover a series of calls and messages exchanged with Osuna.

Both Osuna and Martinez are now facing charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance. A detention hearing has been scheduled for January 2 in the U.S. Federal District Court located in Phoenix.

Notably, court records do not provide any further details regarding the identity of the Mexican drug supplier or the whereabouts of the remaining 70 pounds of methamphetamine.