THE BORDER REPORT

Why are U.S. and Arizona law enforcement so quiet about the bust of an old narco-trafficking family from Sonoyta? Justice Department officials declined to comment about the case of 47 people who were indicted on money-laundering and drug-trafficking charges in Phoenix last week. The owners of the popular Lukeville-based Mota’s Place Shuttle and all the drivers were arrested when police raided the offices last week. Phoenix police are equally closed-mouth. I had to hear about it from sources along the Arizona border who were lucid enough to kick down the information for a story last Sunday. The Arizona Republic apparently hit the same brick wall while other newspapers chose to ignore the matter altogether. By all accounts, police have a solid case against the Sonoyta-based Mota Cienfuegos family – except for one thing: the main man everybody is gunning for is nowhere to be found: Enrique “Kiki” Mota. This uncomfortable fact leads me to wonder if police have been arresting familymembers because they don’t have Kiki. Or is there someone bigger than Kiki who is being targeted? Sonoyta is a curious place; the Sinaloans under Arturo Beltran Leyva and the Arellano Felix family have long vied for the lucrative smuggling route. Los Numeros, under the control of Raul Enriquez Parra, controlled the plaza since the early 2000s. Kiki has been around longer than that. His longevity is testament to his wiliness; he’s been smuggling migrants and narcotics since the mid-1990s. Mexican authorities claimed to have grabbed him in 2003 but nobody can tell me why he was released. At the time, U.S. authorities told the Mexicans they’d seized more than half a million dollars from the Motas, proceeds from migrant smuggling. But a search of federal records in district court turned up nothing. Last Monday and Tuesday, Phoenix Police and DEA arrested Kiki’s brother, Gustavo, and his family in Avondale. Patricia Castillo spoke quietly, sharing what little she knew about the bust that’s slowly disintegrating her family. An Arizona grand jury indictment filed July 30 charges her family and 35 others on drug trafficking and money-laundering charges. But most of names are John and Jane Does. The shuttle service is closed down in Rocky Point now and its Lukeville and Phoenix offices were taken over by Superior Shuttle last week. Castillo says her husband, Gustavo, had nothing to do with his brother’s organized crime ring. “My husband is a hard-working businessman and he’s respected by members of the business community,” she said, picking at a spot on her cheek until it bled. “Look at how we live,” she said. “If we were involved in these things, wouldn’t we show it with the money we spent?” Maybe, I don’t know. The modern house boasts a small pool fenced in by a cinderblock fence in an Avondale suburb. A Ford Expedition sits in the driveway. The furniture in the house is simple; nice stuff, but nothing fancy. All the signs of a small business-owning family. Gustavo simply found a niche five years ahead of his time, running tourists from Rocky Point to Phoenix, she says. What do I expect, a Malverde shrine in the front yard, armed guards and Amado Carrillo-style cupolas? But a Maricopa County judge’s search warrant gives a different tale. According to the warrant, ICE and local police were looking for signs of running an organized crime syndicate, marijuana-trafficking, migrant smuggling and money-laundering when they came knocking last week. Castillo gives this account: At 7:30 p.m., last Monday, Gustavo Jr., Mota’s son from a previous marriage, simply disappeared. He never showed up in Phoenix after heading down to the family’s office in Lukeville that day. Then Christian, Mota’s other son, grew worried. The family was receiving kidnapping threats in Sonoyta and he needed to make sure his brother hadn’t been picked up. At 10:30 p.m., his wife calls Patricia, looking for Christian. Calls were made; nobody knew anything. At 6:15 the next morning, Patricia and Gustavo were on their way to an immigration hearing for Patricia when Phoenix Police pulled them over. Handcuffed, the pair was led back to their home where police served them with a search warrant. Police searched their house then took the pair in for questioning. After nine hours, Patricia was released; Gustavo remains in custody. The drivers and the office manager, Blanca Castillo, were arrested as they arrived to work. The 36-page indictment charges 44 people with 115 crimes, from racketeering to weapons charges, drug trafficking and simple possession. If law enforcement has a strong case against the family, then Godspeed. But it is not a comforting feeling to know that an entire family can be arrested while police say nothing.

-- Michael Marizco