Alias ‘The Filipino’ indicted for shipping tons of meth to U.S. via PH

ONTARIO, California —A man known under several aliases, including “The Filipino,” was indicted in in federal court in early December, accused of playing a key role in a global drug-trafficking operation.

Jorge Gomez Torres, 66, of Ontario, allegedly coordinated shipments of more than 1,000 tons of methamphetamine to the Philippines and then importing them to the United States, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Torres pleaded not guilty to one count of drug trafficking and two counts of money laundering, according to an indictment unsealed Wednesday, December 4 at the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, according to Patch.com report.

A total of 17 defendants were charged in the indictment, most of whom are fugitives thought to be living in Mexico, according to authorities.

According to the indictment, law enforcement seized about 185 pounds of methamphetamine in 2013 from a rooster ranch in the Philippines that Torres allegedly owned.

Torres’ ring used shell companies to obtain shipping documents that allowed members to ship drugs to countries including the Philippines and Australia, with the drugs often hidden inside machinery, authorities said. A trial date for Torres was set for Jan. 28.