Suspected Cartel Member Can't Dance From Law

April 27, 2013
A "highly intoxicated" alleged meth dealer, gang banger and suspected member of a Mexican drug cartel danced into the arms of the U.S. Marshals Service early Friday.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- A "highly intoxicated" alleged meth dealer, gang banger and suspected member of a Mexican drug cartel danced into the arms of the U.S. Marshals Service early Friday, ending a manhunt that had lasted more than a year.

Omar Cota, 28, was on the dance floor at the Route 66 Casino west of Albuquerque when deputy marshals responding to a tip swarmed the scene around 1:45 a.m. and took him into custody.

Cota, suspected to be a member of the Sinaloa drug cartel and Brew Town gang, is facing a federal charge for arranging a methamphetamine deal over the phone.

"He liked that place," Marshals Service spokesman James Badway said of the arrest location. "We knew that that was one of his favorite casinos."

The Envy Night Club was windi ng dow n its night in anticipation of last call, said Michael Prior, the club's VIP host, when Cota, in his lime-green shirt, was collared and regional Mexican music played.

"They just came in, saw him and arrested him," Prior said. "People continued drinking."

Law enforcement officials had been looking for Cota since February 2012.

He is named along with 14 co-defendants accused of having and selling thousands of grams of methamphetamine between June 2011 and February 2012.

Marshals had scoped out the Envy dance floor at least three times over the past year, hoping that Cota would show up. When they arrested him Friday morning, he was found with drugs and a lot of money, according to a news release.

Badway said Cota was a "high-ranking" gang member in the area, and he kept law enforcement from tracking him down by swapping out cars and cellphones about once a week over the past year. Witnesses who knew Cota's whereabouts were often fearful about giving tips to the Marshals Service.

"He was cautious," Badway said.

Along with his co-defendants, Cota, nicknamed The Mechanic, is named in a federal indictment from 2012 that outlines dozens of methrelated charges, including conspiracy, selling and possession with intent to distribute. Distribution charges range from 5 grams to 500 grams, and the defendants charged with possession are accused of holding on to more than 1,000 grams that they intended to sell.

Eight of the 15 defendants, including Cota, are accused of arranging the meth deals over the phone. Cota is in federal custody and scheduled for his initial federal court appearance Monday morning.

Copyright 2013 - Albuquerque Journal, N.M.

McClatchy-Tribune News Service

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