• Latest
  • Trending
  • All
  • News
  • Business
  • Lifestyle
Glenis Zapata, a 34-year-old former Miss Indiana Latina, has been indicted in U.S. District Court in Chicago.

Former Indiana Beauty Queen Arrested in Mexican Drug Cartel Bust

May 27, 2024
‘Overwhelmingly Peaceful’: Karen Bass Describes Protest From Comfort Of A Helicopter

‘Overwhelmingly Peaceful’: Karen Bass Describes Protest From Comfort Of A Helicopter

June 15, 2025
Rioters Storm Oregon ICE Building, Injure Officers

Rioters Storm Oregon ICE Building, Injure Officers

June 15, 2025
EXCLUSIVE PICS: Democrat Bigwigs Hobnob At Ritzy Soros Wedding On ‘No Kings’ Day

EXCLUSIVE PICS: Democrat Bigwigs Hobnob At Ritzy Soros Wedding On ‘No Kings’ Day

June 15, 2025
STEVE MILLOY: President Trump Moves To End The War On Coal

STEVE MILLOY: President Trump Moves To End The War On Coal

June 15, 2025
LYNN WESTMORELAND: Trump Saved Your Venmo And Cash App From Biden’s IRS Spies

LYNN WESTMORELAND: Trump Saved Your Venmo And Cash App From Biden’s IRS Spies

June 15, 2025
NED RYUN: GOP & America Will Be Better for Passing Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill

NED RYUN: GOP & America Will Be Better for Passing Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill

June 15, 2025
EXCLUSIVE: Small Biz Chief Pledges Zero Tolerance For Fraud After Biden Mission Drift

EXCLUSIVE: Small Biz Chief Pledges Zero Tolerance For Fraud After Biden Mission Drift

June 14, 2025
EXCLUSIVE: VA Will Save ‘Literally Millions Of Dollars’ By Scrapping Sex Changes, Sec Says

EXCLUSIVE: VA Will Save ‘Literally Millions Of Dollars’ By Scrapping Sex Changes, Sec Says

June 14, 2025
Authorities Identify Suspect In Assassination Of Minnesota Lawmaker

Authorities Identify Suspect In Assassination Of Minnesota Lawmaker

June 14, 2025
SEN. STEVE DAINES AND REP. STEVE WOMACK: Congress Should Be Able To Ban Flag Burning

SEN. STEVE DAINES AND REP. STEVE WOMACK: Congress Should Be Able To Ban Flag Burning

June 14, 2025
EXCLUSIVE: Thune Says Trump Nominees Are Being Confirmed At Rapid Pace Despite ‘Historic’ Obstruction

EXCLUSIVE: Thune Says Trump Nominees Are Being Confirmed At Rapid Pace Despite ‘Historic’ Obstruction

June 14, 2025
Democratic State Lawmaker, Husband Killed In ‘Politically-Motivated Assassination’

Democratic State Lawmaker, Husband Killed In ‘Politically-Motivated Assassination’

June 14, 2025
  • Donald Trump
  • State of the Union
  • Elon Musk
  • Tariffs
  • Congress
  • Faith
  • Immigration
Sunday, June 15, 2025
  • Login
IJR
  • Politics
  • US News
  • Commentary
  • World News
  • Faith
  • Latest Polls
No Result
View All Result
IJR
No Result
View All Result
Home FaithTap

Former Indiana Beauty Queen Arrested in Mexican Drug Cartel Bust

by Western Journal
May 27, 2024
in FaithTap, News
247 5
0
Glenis Zapata, a 34-year-old former Miss Indiana Latina, has been indicted in U.S. District Court in Chicago.

Glenis Zapata, a 34-year-old former Miss Indiana Latina, has been indicted in U.S. District Court in Chicago. (Miss Indiana Latina / Facebook)

491
SHARES
1.4k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Two bank workers and a former beauty pageant winner from Indiana have been charged with assisting a Mexico-based drug trafficking organization with money laundering.

The federal indictment related to the case was unsealed Friday in U.S. District Court in Chicago, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois.

Glenis Zapata, a 34-year-old former Miss Indiana Latina, used to work as a flight attendant on commercial airline flights, where she would use the privileges as a “Known Crew Member” with a badge to transport narcotics proceeds from the Midwest to the South and Mexico, the U.S. Attorney’s office said.

Zapata, who is from Lafayette, Indiana, faces two counts of federal money laundering charges, according to the indictment.

One count is for an instance on Aug. 7, 2019, when she allegedly helped move approximately $170,000; the other is for an instance on Sept. 10, 2019, when she is accused of transporting about  $140,000.

The flight attendant’s alleged role in the scheme came to light during an investigation into a Mexico-based drug cartel led by 41-year-old Oswaldo Espinosa.

The investigation was taking place in 2021 when federal agents impounded a private plane and 100 kilograms of cocaine as part of a raid in Chicago.

Glenis Zapata allegedly had collaborated with her sister and bank worker, Ilenis Zapata, 33, and bank employee Georgina Banuelos, 39, in the scheme.

Ilenis Zapata and Banuelos aided the money laundering efforts by changing the cash comprising the illegally trafficked narcotic revenue from lower-denominated bills to higher-denominated ones, according to the indictment.

Banuelos, prosecutors allege, engaged in the transaction while knowing that it was “designed in whole and in part to avoid a transaction reporting requirement under Federal law” and that the money in question “involved the proceeds of a specified unlawful activity,” court documents said.

The bank workers are accused on three counts: one for a time on July 9, 2019, when they helped launder around $150,000 worth of money; the second on Aug. 6, 2019, involving approximately $100,000; and a third for Oct. 24, 2019, when they helped launder about $150,000, court documents said.

The trio were part of Espinosa’s network, which went from Mexico to Chicago and spanned several U.S. cities, according to prosecutors.

The network’s assets, the news release noted, included warehouses, garages and stash houses in Chicago.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Espinosa was the organization’s main manager, while Mexican-national Jorge Borbon-Ochoa, 46, governed the cartel’s work in Chicago.

Ricardo Tello, a 37-year-old from Mission, Texas, worked as the group’s drug runner, according to prosecutors.

Tello allegedly would smuggle cocaine in large amounts from Mexico to various cities in the U.S. between 2018 and 2023.

The arraignments for the trio’s charges have yet to be scheduled, the news release stated.

______________________________________________

This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.

Tags: crimeDrugsIllinoisIndianaMexicoU.S.News
Share196Tweet123
Western Journal

Western Journal

Advertisements

Top Stories June 10th
Top Stories June 7th
Top Stories June 6th
Top Stories June 3rd
Top Stories May 30th
Top Stories May 29th
Top Stories May 24th
Top Stories May 23rd
Top Stories May 21st
Top Stories May 17th

Join Over 6M Subscribers

We’re organizing an online community to elevate trusted voices on all sides so that you can be fully informed.





IJR

    Copyright © 2024 IJR

Trusted Voices On All Sides

  • About Us
  • GDPR Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Editorial Standards & Corrections Policy
  • Subscribe to IJR

Follow Us

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Politics
  • US News
  • Commentary
  • World News
  • Faith
  • Latest Polls

    Copyright © 2024 IJR

Top Stories June 10th Top Stories June 7th Top Stories June 6th Top Stories June 3rd Top Stories May 30th Top Stories May 29th Top Stories May 24th Top Stories May 23rd Top Stories May 21st Top Stories May 17th