60 arrested in El Cajon Iraqi-Sinaloa ring; 3,500 lb marijuana seized
Federal and local authorities arrested about 60 people tied to an Iraqi social-club trafficking ring in El Cajon, California, that investigators linked to Sinaloa-cartel marijuana shipped to Detroit. Authorities said they seized more than 3,500 pounds of marijuana plus cash, vehicles, guns and explosive devices, and nine defendants faced federal charges.
🇺🇸 Iraqi social club, 811 E. Main St., El Cajon, California · California, United States
Federal and El Cajon authorities arrested about 60 people tied to an
Iraqi-community trafficking ring after a months-long investigation centered in
El Cajon, east of San Diego.[1]Many suspects were Iraqi Chaldeans, and police
said at least some were suspected of affiliation with the Detroit-based Chaldean
Organized Crime Syndicate.[1]Investigators said the suspects operated out of
an Iraqi social club in El Cajon and shipped Sinaloa-cartel-supplied drugs to
Detroit.[1]Four federal indictments unsealed on 18 August 2011 charged nine
people with federal narcotics and weapons trafficking and unlawful possession of
firearms and explosives.[1]One defendant, Nofel Noel Suleyman, was also
charged with engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise, which carries a
20-year mandatory minimum.[2]About half of the 60 arrested faced federal
charges and half faced state charges.[1]Officials said the investigation was
continuing and more arrests were possible.[1]
Authorities seized more than 3,500 pounds of marijuana that officials attributed
to the Sinaloa cartel.[1]Investigators also seized more than $630,000 in
cash, three luxury cars, 34 firearms and four improvised explosive devices.[3]In April, a DEA undercover operative was shown a hand grenade and told
additional grenades were available from a Mexican military source.[1]
El Cajon police said neighbours and club members’ spouses had complained for
years about attempted murder, meth and marijuana sales, gambling and illegal gun
sales at the club.[1]Officials said the weapons and explosives were meant for
local sale, with no indication the ring was supplying the cartel’s war in
Mexico.[1]The DEA said Sinaloa operatives supplied the El Cajon traffickers
with large amounts of marijuana that sold in Detroit for up to three times its
purchase value.[4]
The club’s managers were allegedly aware of the criminal activity and demanded a cut of the money.[5]
Photos and video
The Chaldean social club building at 811 E. Main St. in El Cajon, which investigators called the hub of the trafficking organization. Photo: Kristina Davis / The San Diego Union-TribunePhoto details
The arrests occurred over about 10 days culminating in a late-night club search and an 18 August 2011 announcement, so 18 August 2011 is used as an approximate incident date.
The submitted account calls it a six-month investigation while local accounts say it began in January 2011 and a DEA release calls it a nine-month operation.
Methamphetamine and other-drug totals differ between accounts and combined drug totals are omitted; only the separately stated marijuana weight is recorded as cannabis.
Firearms totals differ between more than 30 guns and 34 firearms; the higher itemized local count is used in the text.
No plea, trial outcome or sentence was reported in the opened sources; the case stood at the charged stage with further arrests said to be possible.
Left out, as its quotation was not found in Los Angeles Times: SWAT teams searched the club late on the Wednesday night before the announcement and found evidence of illegal gambling, while people inside were detained and then released.
The methamphetamine figure of 18 pounds and the other-drug totals are mixed with cannabis quantities and are not recorded.
Gun counts differ between more than 30 guns here and 34 firearms in the earlier account.
No plea, trial outcome or sentencing was reported for the nine federally charged defendants.
A man was arrested at the Sierra Blanca checkpoint in Texas after a K-9 alert led to the discovery of marijuana and three firearms, one reported stolen. The driver, held on an active warrant, was turned over to local authorities for extradition.
Passenger Jamaal Parker was arrested on November 10, 2026, after a wrong-way vehicle pursuit ended in a crash in Hamilton County, Tennessee. Sheriff's deputies reported finding 4 pounds (1.81 kilograms) of concentrated marijuana (THC) valued at over $13,000 and two loaded handguns in his backpack.
Patrick Wayne Gaylor, 40, was arrested on Maple Avenue near East 6th Street in Rome, Georgia, after police stopped his vehicle over an improperly restrained five-year-old child and found marijuana. He was charged with marijuana possession, a child safety restraint violation, and a parole violation.
Palo Alto County sheriff's deputies arrested 37-year-old Baley Dietrich and 18-year-old Landen Dietrich, both of Graettinger, after a disturbance call on the morning of 9 November 2026. Both were charged with first-offense marijuana possession and possession of drug paraphernalia and were booked into the Palo Alto County Jail to await initial appearances.
