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GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Authorities say three men accused of drug trafficking in West Michigan have connections to a Mexican drug cartel.
The U.S. Marshals say the three were already busted for shipping large amounts of cocaine and charged federally but then made a run for it.
Now, authorities are hoping someone recognizes Luis Galindo and/or Israel and Orlando Torres De La Mora.
Luis Galindo and his brother Pedro were arrested in Van Buren County after transporting more than five kilos of cocaine.
“It wasn`t a one-time thing," said Mike Yasenchak with the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). "Through interviews at the time of the arrest Luis Galindo admitted he was doing 50 kilograms of cocaine at a time and transporting that to his brother's house in northern Indiana for distribution in Indiana and in Michigan."
The brothers, who lived in Chicago at the time, are part of a Midwestern drug trafficking ring shipping coke through West Michigan.
“Both were arrested and both were released on bond and became fugitives. Pedro was apprehended in Chicago, Illinois but Luis remains a fugitive,” Yasenchak said.
Arrested in 2012, the Galindo brothers took off in 2013. They are believed to be U.S. citizens whose true identities are unknown.
Cousins Israel and Orlando Torres De La Mora are also on the run after a large drug bust in Kent County in 2010.
“We had caught the authorization to listen to the telephones on a target here in Grand Rapids,” Yasenchak said.
The DEA says they were distributing cocaine, heroin and marijuana in a network reaching across the U.S. Border.
Yasenchak says the case goes down to Mexico to the drug cartels and was coming through California into Chicago and into Michigan.
He says the Torres De La Mora cousins initially ran to Minneapolis, but after that the trail goes cold.
“Freedom has no price, if you can go to Mexico and hide and if you’re from there it’s easy to go back, so people will do a lot to get their freedom,” Yasenchak said.
23-year-old Galindo is 6’ tall, 300 pounds with brown eyes and black hair. He has prior arrests for narcotics and fraud and has connections to Chicago and California.
29-year-old Orlando Torres De La Mora is 5'9” and 170 pounds with brown eyes and black hair. He has prior arrests for assault and weapons with a last known address in Kennewick, Washington.
His cousin, 26-year old Israel Torres De La Mora, is 5’10” 190 pounds with brown eyes and black hair. He has a prior arrest for an immigration violation with connections to Mexico and Kennewick, Washington.
All three of these men should be considered armed and dangerous. If you see them call 911. If you know where they are you're asked to call the U.S. Marshals at 1-877-926-8332.
