12 arrested in southern Arizona drug bust

PHOENIX — Twelve Pima County residents face state felony drug charges for their alleged roles in distributing methamphetamine and other drugs, following a joint enforcement effort Sept. 10 by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Pima County Sheriff's Department.

The arrests follow a four-month investigation that targeted drug smuggling and street drug distribution rings operating in Ajo, and was conducted under the auspices of the Border Alliance Narcotics Network, a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area initiative.

"This case focused on breaking up the flow of hard drugs from smuggling networks to distributors in Ajo," said Angel Rascon, assistant special agent in charge of HSI Sells. "Through this closely coordinated federal-local law enforcement partnership, we've taken a dozen alleged hard drug distributors off the streets of the Ajo community."

The following individuals were arrested in the case and face a variety of state felony drug-related charges:

• Adria Rosa Sanders-Chi, 49;
• Eduvijen Maria Romero-Cantua, 36;
• Marcelino A. Rivas, 46;
• Jatana Danielle Kibbey, 30;
• Michael Gentry, 35;
• Amber Nicole Keller, 26;
• Guillermo Gonzalez-Padres, 27;
• Rubi Meza Bustamante, 44;
• Robert Glenn Cordell, 41;
• Conrado Aguila Valenzuela Jr, 20;
• Christopher Gary Nelson, 26;
• Adrian Alberto Tadeo-Lopez, 22.

Ten of the defendants were arrested Sept. 10 in Ajo. Nelson and Tadeo-Lopez were already in Pima County custody on unrelated state charges.