Note: To download fugitive reward posters in English and Spanish, click on: Tito Montes Bobadilla, Herlinda Bobadilla, and Juan Carlos Montes Bobadilla.
Today, the U.S. Department of State announced a reward of up to $5
million each for information leading to the arrest and conviction of
three Honduran nationals indicted in the Eastern District of Virginia on
charges stemming from their roles as leading figures in a
drug-trafficking operation.
On Oct. 8, 2015, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging
Tito Montes-Bobadilla, aka Alejandro Montes-Bobadilla or Pimpi, 32;
Herlinda Bobadilla, aka Erlinda Ramos-Bobadilla or Chinda, 61; Juan
Carlos Montes-Bobadilla, aka Mono, 35; Noe Montes-Bobadilla aka Ton, 38;
and two others with conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of
cocaine. The Department of State is offering $5 million for information
leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Tito Montes-Bobadilla,
Herlinda Bobadilla, or Juan Carlos Montes Bobadilla. The three
Bobadillas are currently fugitives and are believed to be armed and
dangerous.
According to court documents and allegations in the indictment, from
2006 until the date of the indictment, Juan Carlos Montes-Bobadilla, his
mother Herlinda Bobadilla, and his brother Tito Montes-Bobadilla
allegedly were leaders in the Montes-Bobadilla drug-trafficking
organization (DTO), or “Los Montes,” one of the largest drug cartels in
Honduras. Noe Montes-Bobadilla led the Montes DTO prior to his arrest
and extradition to the United States in 2017. Noe Montes-Bobadilla’s
brothers, Tito Montes-Bobadilla and Juan Carlos Montes-Bobadilla,
allegedly led cells within the DTO with their own supply and
distribution networks. Their mother, Herlinda Bobadilla, allegedly
assisted her sons in the importation, transportation, and distribution
of cocaine. Through these efforts, the Montes DTO allegedly distributed
thousands of kilograms of cocaine destined for the United States.
The Montes DTO allegedly had its base of operations around Francia,
Honduras, in the Department of Colón. The Montes DTO allegedly received
shipments of cocaine via boats, clandestine aircraft, and even
submarines by South American suppliers. Individual shipments allegedly
carried hundreds of, and sometimes more than a thousand kilograms of
cocaine. The Montes DTO allegedly worked closely with other
drug-trafficking organizations to import the cocaine in Honduras and
transport it north through Central America and Mexico to the United
States.
After his extradition, Noe Montes-Bobadilla was convicted, and, in April 2019, sentenced to 37 years’ imprisonment on the drug-trafficking charge.
If you have information regarding this case, please contact the U.S.
Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) at +504-9452 4032 or +504-9430
7106, which can accept messages from the social messaging applications
WhatsApp and Signal, or by email at Montes.tips@usdoj.gov.
If you are located outside of the United States, please contact the
nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. If in the United States, please
contact the local DEA office in your city.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys James L. Trump, Thomas W. Traxler, and
Anthony Aminoff of the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorneys
Teresita Mutton and Douglas Meisel of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic
and Dangerous Drug Section are prosecuting the case. The Justice
Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial
assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Noe
Montes-Bobadilla.
This case is being investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Operation Harpoon.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
