She was an employee with classified access to criminal investigations and her sister is married to a cartel boss.
What could possibly go wrong?
A paralegal specialist in the U.S. Attorney’s Office has been arrested and accused of helping out the Mexican drug cartel.
Jennifer Loya, who has worked with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas in San Antonio since March 2017, is facing multiple federal charges. Loya is accused of using electronic surveillance made available to her through her job to tip off various investigations.
According to federal court documents, Loya’s sister, Kimberley, is married to Roland Gustamante, an associate of Israel Fernandez-Vasquez, who is a leader in the Cartel del Noreste (CDN).
Although Fernandez-Vasquez was deported in May 2018, he allegedly still operates in San Antonio out of Monterrey, Mexico. From Monterrey, Fernandez-Vasquez allegedly smuggles large amounts of cocaine, heroin and meth into the U.S., specifically in San Antonio.
According to court documents, Kimberley Loya would use a vehicle registered to her sister to take drug money to and from Mexico.
FBI agents say the vehicle crossed the U.S. border into Mexico 21 times from May 2019 to Jan. 2020.
FBI agents became particularly interested in Jennifer Loya when they would go to make arrests on specific drug trafficking operations (DTO) in San Antonio. At one point, a member of one DTO said he knew the agent was coming for him and it ‘appeared the drugs had been moved overnight,’ according to court records.
Loya allegedly also printed out documents relating to these investigations while at work, according to the court records.
Loya is facing charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing meth, obstruction of justice and conspiracy to obstruct justice.