Drug Traffickers Arrested, Two Fugitives Sought

OKLAHOMA CITY—Oklahoma City Police Department Chief William Citty and James E. Finch, Special Agent in Charge of the Oklahoma City Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation announce the arrest of eight individuals charged with aggravated drug trafficking. Mario Alvarez Espinoza, 29 years of age; Chris Edwin Thrift, 50 years of age; Jose Alfredo Sanchez-Higuera, also known as “Chi Chi,” 48 years of age; Saul Sanchez, 27 years of age; Jaime Torres, 45 years of age; and Joe Bernard Curtis, 35 years of age all from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma were arrested. Three other individuals were also arrested. In addition to the above arrests, eight search warrants were executed at various homes throughout Oklahoma City.

Today’s events are a culmination of a four-month investigation. The Oklahoma Metropolitan Safe Streets Gang Task Force received information about individuals selling large quantities of cocaine and methamphetamine in Oklahoma City. Law enforcement developed enough information to obtain arrest and search warrants which were executed today. As a result of the searches, approximately 14 kilograms of cocaine, over seven pounds of methamphetamine, six firearms, and approximately $40,000 in cash were seized. The defendants charged today face a minimum penalty of 15 years in prison.

The Oklahoma Metropolitan Safe Streets Gang Task Force is still searching for two individuals who were not located today. Eduardo Higuera-Sanchez, also known as “La Lo,” 47 years of age and Ventura Esquival-Ochoa, 54 years of age both from Oklahoma City are wanted for Aggravated Drug Trafficking. Anyone with information of their whereabouts is asked to call the FBI at (405) 290-7770 or Oklahoma City Police Department at (405) 316-6830. Callers may remain anonymous.

The Oklahoma Metropolitan Safe Streets Gang Task Force is comprised of law enforcement officers and agents from the FBI, Oklahoma City Police Department, Midwest City Police Department, and Homeland Security. Today’s events would not have been possible without the assistance of the Oklahoma Metropolitan Fugitive Task Force, the Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office and Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics. The public is reminded that these arrests are merely an accusation and that the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

REAL COP WORK

Police-Writers.com is a website that lists state and local police officers who have written books. Police-writers.com added three police officers who offered distinct, different and real perspectives on police work. Jim Daly gives an inside view of jails and county sheriffs; Richard Reed on a detective’s hunt for a serial killer; and, Bill Walsh on the life of a mounted police officer.

Jim Daly is a retired lieutenant from the Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office (Oklahoma). After his retirement from the Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office he worked as a police officer for the Arcadia Police Department from 2001 through 2004. During his career, he worked as a jailer, deputy sheriff, CLEET instructor, American Red Cross Instructor, and biohazards instructor. Jim Daly is the author of two books: Lockdown Madness and Behind Steel Doors.

According to the book description of Behind Steel Doors, “in this book the reader will be allowed to visit the dark side of jail and what goes on inside one. It is about hard-core prisoners who have nothing to lose, the games they play, and how they assault fellow prisoners or brave jailers. It includes responding to emergency calls, and how all the madness builds up behind the big steel doors of jail for prisoners and jailers alike. This book will definitely show some statistics reported and incidents that have occurred.”

According to the book description of Jim Daly’s book Lockdown Madness, “step inside the walls of one of the largest correctional facilities in the United States and the madness experienced by not only the inmates but also the men and women who are charged with guarding them. This book details the career of a former Marine and U.S. Army National Guardsman who devoted his entire career to protecting society from murderers and rapists, drunks and drug addicts. The stories told in this book are true, and the author makes no apologies for the language and the violence that occurred inside the living, breathing demon known as a jail. Come inside, if you dare!”

Richard Reed served as an Intelligence Analyst and Korean Language interpreter in the U.S. Army, and has worked in the court systems or law enforcement since 1975. He worked in the Criminal Investigation Division of the Evansville Police Department (Indiana) from 1987 until he was promoted to Sergeant in 2003. While assigned to the Criminal Investigation Division of the Evansville Police Department he was the lead investigator on the Joseph Brown case. He is currently the commander of the Internal Affairs Division, and is finishing a Master’s Degree in Public Service Administration.

Richard Reed is the co-author of Blood Trail. According to one reader/reviewer, Blood Trail is “a page turner from the beginning! Both true crime fans and non true crime fans will be completely amazed by the unfolding of this true tale of horrific murder in America's Heartland. Blood Trail opens with the August, 2000 brutal murder of Ginger Gasaway in Indiana, a death that shocked the nation when her cold, calculated killer took investigators to three different counties to recover her dismembered body parts.”

From 1976 to 1995, Sergeant Bill Walsh of the Fort Wayne Police Department (Indiana) and his equine partner, Boo, patrolled the streets of Fort Wayne, Indiana. These two formed a special bond between themselves and the community. Bill Walsh’s book, Mounted Cops are Ten Feet Tall, is a narrative about how and why he started and developed the Mounted Patrol. It explores the “partners” daily lives and the sometimes unusual adventures they encountered.

Police-Writers.com now hosts 597 police officers (representing 256 police departments) and their 1249 books in six categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books.