United States Drug Enforcement Administration

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Today the U.S. Department of State and the DEA's Washington Division 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 October 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. 

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