NEWS RELEASE

OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY

WESTERN DISTRICT OF MISSOURI

BETH PHILLIPS

Contact Don Ledford, Public Affairs ● (816) 426-4220 ● 400 East Ninth Street, Room 5510 ● Kansas City, MO 64106

www.justice.gov/index.html

MAY 4, 2010

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MEXICAN NATIONAL INDICTED FOR METH,

ILLEGAL FIREARM

            KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Beth Phillips, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Kansas City, Mo., man was indicted by a federal grand jury today for possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and for illegally possessing a firearm.

            Rodrigo Santacruz-Felix, 36, a citizen of Mexico residing in Kansas City, was charged in a three-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City.

            Today’s indictment alleges that on April 7, 2010, Santacruz-Felix was in possession of more than 500 grams of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.

            The indictment also charges Santacruz-Felix with one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Santacruz-Felix was allegedly in possession of a Colt .38-caliber revolver.

            Phillips cautioned that the charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

            This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine A. Connelly. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

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This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, is available on-line at

http://www.justice.gov/index.html