TUCSON, Ariz. - Former Arizona Wildcats football player Gary Lamont Love was one of 11 suspects indicted in an investigation involving drugs and money smuggling.
In the indictment dated Nov. 25, Love was accused of several charges, including attempted transport for sale of cocaine and marijuana, money laundering, use of a wire or electronic communication in a drug-related transaction, conspiracy and illegally conducting an enterprise.
Love played for Arizona from 2000-2003, playing positions including kick returner, wide receiver and defensive back. He played high school football in Los Angeles.
The indictments are connected to a Nov. 21 raid of a multi-million dollar home. KGUN 9 was there when federal authorities executed a search warrant at the home near the intersection of Moore Road and Como Drive. Agents with Homeland Security Investigations hauled away a slew of vehicles from the scene, including trucks, SUVs, a motorboat, a sports car and a trailer. Oro Valley Police and Marana Police vehicles were also at the scene.
The homeowner, Raul Garcia Cordova, 47, was arrested after Homeland Security Investigations agents executed a search warrant at his home near the intersection of Moore Road and Como Drive Thursday. The search turned up marijuana, vape pens, equipment to make vape pens, drug ledgers and plenty of cash. Cardova is in jail on a $250,000 cash bond.
According to court documents, Love, 40, and 49-year-old Mario Arvizu Barcelo were UPS supervisors who coordinated the arrival of UPS packages carrying drugs and money to the UPS hub, as well as concealing those packages. On Thursday afternoon, UPS told KGUN9 neither Love nor Barcelo were still employed at the company.
The investigation began in November 2018. In June, law enforcement agents bought 100 THC vape pens, then in September seized multiple THC vape pens from a Vape shop that had purchased the pens from the organization.
Detectives describe 32-year-old Fernando Navarro-Figueroa as being in charge of the stash house where some of the illegal items were stored, and in charge of multiple members of the drug trafficking organization.
Others included in the indictment are Victor Manuel Alexander Molina, Michael Anthony Castro, Martin Octavio Siqueiros-Diaz, Jonathan Sanchez Gallegos, Abraham Felix-Navarro, Fernando Navarro-Figueroa, Thomas Alfred Mendoza and Heriberto Martinez-Bojourquez.
As of Thursday afternoon, all of the suspects were awaiting an arraignment date to be set in Pima County Superior Court.
