SAN DIEGO -- Phillip Junior Webb, 20, was sentenced by District Court Judge Michael M. Anello in federal court today to 46 months in custody for conspiring to distribute controlled substances and smuggle undocumented individuals, including a Mexican national and Chinese national, for financial gain. 

According to the public record, at the time of the offense Webb was an 18-year-old high school senior who recruited other high school students to smuggle methamphetamine and/or fentanyl into the United States on multiple occasions.  In each instance, the juveniles had drugs strapped on their bodies as they attempted to enter the United States at the San Ysidro or Otay Mesa Ports of Entry.

In May 2018 Defendant Webb was caught attempting to bring a Chinese national and a Mexican national into the United States in the trunk of his vehicle.

In July 2018, Webb pleaded guilty in federal court to charges that he recruited classmates to smuggle methamphetamine and fentanyl.

“We cannot allow drug cartels to cavalierly recruit our youth to smuggle potent methamphetamine  and fentanyl drugs into our nation, thereby endangering our teens and contributing to our country’s addiction crisis,” said U.S. Attorney Robert S. Brewer, Jr. “We will stop this exploitation by bringing the full power of the justice system down on the recruiters who exploit these kids.”  

“Violent Mexican cartels are making money by exploiting children in the United States and Mexico,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Karen Flowers.  “Our children, naive to the dangers, are promised money in exchange for allowing cartel members to strap drugs on their bodies in the back alleys of Tijuana, often surrounded by gun-baring cartel members, and smuggle the drugs to the US.  What these children aren’t told is that these drugs are deadly and they are putting themselves at risk to be physically exploited or even killed. Phillip Webb coerced children with the lure of easy money and the Hollywood notion of a glamorized life of crime.  His sentencing makes it clear that we will not stand by and let profiteers damage our children.” 

“Today’s sentencing of Webb is an example of justice brought to an individual conspiring to exploit juveniles for their own financial gain,” said Timothy J. Tubbs, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in San Diego.  “HSI continues to partner with CBP, other law enforcement agencies, and prosecutors to educate juveniles on the dangers, risks, and consequences of being involved in the vicious world of drug smuggling.”

“I commend the great work of CBP, HSI and DEA and recognize the unified coordination across government agencies to bring this person to justice,” said CBP Director of Field Operations for San Diego, Pete Flores. “We will continue to work diligently with our partners to stop transnational criminal organizations from exploiting and corrupting our youth.”

U.S. Attorney Brewer commended AUSA Sherri Hobson as a “force of nature,” who, inspired by the Webb investigation, helped spearhead an ambitious juvenile smuggling prevention program, in collaboration with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the District Attorney, the San Diego Police Department, local schools, and South Bay Community Services.  Over the past year, the multi-agency prevention team made scores of presentations, which have already reached 11,580 people, including 9,250 students, more than 680 parents, 610 school staff, health and counseling professionals, 145 members of law enforcement and 215 community members. 

This case is the result of the ongoing efforts by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a partnership that brings together the combined expertise and unique abilities of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, dismantle and prosecute high-level members of drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations and enterprises.

DEFENDANT                                   Case No. 18MJ2229

Phillip Junior Webb                            Age: 20       Tijuana, Mexico

CHARGES

Count 1 – Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine (21 U.S.C. 841 & 846)

Maximum Penalty: Ten years minimum to life in custody; $1 million fine

Count 2 - Bringing in Undocumented Aliens for Financial Gain (8 U.S.C. 1324)

Maximum Penatly: Three years mandatory minimum to 20 years in custody; $250,000 fine

AGENCY

Homeland Security Investigations

Drug Enforcement Administration

Customs & Border Protection

Homeland Security Investigations

San Diego County Sheriff’s Department

 

Assistant U. S. Attorney Cindy Cipriani (619) 546-9608    

NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – July 16, 2018

SAN DIEGO – Federal and state law enforcement officials have launched a billboard campaign in San Diego and Imperial counties to prevent middle and high school students from acting as drug mules for cartels.

The billboards, located in San Diego and Imperial counties as well as one in Mexico, feature stark warnings to minors that smuggling drugs could cost them their freedom and their futures and is not worth the few hundred dollars they are being offered. They were unveiled today at two locations in San Ysidro and one in Tijuana.

Also today, a San Diego teenager pleaded guilty in federal court to charges that he recruited classmates to smuggle methamphetamine and fentanyl. Phillip Junior Webb was a senior at Castle Park High School in Chula Vista when he committed the drug offenses.

The number of incidents in which drugs were seized from minors at ports of entry in the Southern District of California has increased significantly in recent years. There was a 153 percent spike in drug seizures from minors from FY 2016 to FY 2017, from 39 to 99. With four months to go in FY 2018, the pace is set to match FY 2017, with a troubling new twist: Minors are smuggling ultra-deadly fentanyl, which has not happened in prior years.

“As law enforcers, and as parents, we are tremendously concerned about our youth being exploited by drug cartels,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Braverman. “Juveniles need to know that consequences are real and dramatic. Ultimately, it is your choice, and the decision you make now will follow you the rest of your life. Don’t sell your future for a few hundred dollars.”

“We live in a beautiful county which includes a world class city and one of the busiest land border crossings in the world, the San Ysidro Point of Entry. Thousands travel by foot and car to conduct business, visit friends and family, shop, eat, and enjoy life each day. Our enemies use this same border crossing to entice our children to bring death and destruction to the United States,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Karen Flowers.  “Parents, teachers, students - all of us need to know that drug smuggling fuels destruction of lives and the violence on both sides of the border. It is not okay. It is not sexy. It is not easy money. It is not worth losing your life, your dreams, your potential.”

“Smuggling narcotics is a dangerous proposition especially a lethal drug such as fentanyl,” said Pete Flores, director of field operations for CBP in San Diego. “Juveniles need to understand there that no matter what they have been told, there are consequences for smuggling narcotics, not to mention the dangers of working with transnational criminal organizations.”

“In less than a year, at least 70 juveniles were arrested at the Port of Entry trying to smuggle methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin and deadly Fentanyl into San Diego County,” District Attorney Summer Stephan said. “These are young people who are being used by dangerous, organized criminals and who do not fully understand the danger they are putting themselves in and the harm and devastation to potential drug users.”

“Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is committed to investigating, dismantling, and referring for prosecution cases in which Transnational Criminal Organizations utilize juveniles to smuggle contraband for financial gain,” said James Plitt, Deputy Special Agent in Charge for HSI in San Diego.  “These dangerous organizations exploit young teenagers who do not fully understand  the negative consequences that this will have in their lives, those of their family and future goals.  Since 2009, HSI has partnered with CBP and other law enforcement agencies and prosecutors to educate the juveniles, parents, and community members of the dangerous people that are recruiting and targeting these juveniles. This outreach effort will remain a priority as long as these children continue to be exploited.”   

DEA reports that during a one-week span in March of this year, five minors were arrested at the San Ysidro Port of Entry attempting to smuggle significant quantities of fentanyl into the country. Other recent incidents involved a female teen who was driving a vehicle with fentanyl and cocaine concealed within the car. And on four different occasions, teenage boys attempted to enter through pedestrian lanes at the San Ysidro Port of Entry with over 2 kilograms each of fentanyl strapped to their bodies, under their clothes. According to DEA, 2 kilograms of fentanyl equals 2 million milligrams of fentanyl, and it would only take 2 to 3 milligrams to cause respiratory depression and possible death.

Drug traffickers take advantage of the naïve nature of juveniles and lure them with incentives like money and electronics in exchange for illegally crossing drugs into the U.S. Many of these children are recruited at the high schools they attend and some are being recruited by classmates.

Parents, teachers, caretakers, school administrators and children need to be aware that recruiting efforts of traffickers pose a constant threat. They have been known to recruit children at schools, but also may approach them at after-school functions, camps, libraries, on public transportation, via social media outlets, and over electronic communications like gaming consoles, text messages or chat rooms. Recruiters could be other children, parents, familiar adults or complete strangers.

In response to the trend, federal, state and local law enforcement have teamed up to educate the region’s youth about the consequences through school programs and billboards, including two billboards in San Diego County, one on the Mexican side of the border, several in Imperial County and many more are under consideration for Arizona, Texas and New Mexico. They warn about the dangers and collateral consequences of drug smuggling. These billboards were funded by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program, a drug-prohibition enforcement program run by the United States Office of National Drug Control Policy.

Prosecutors and agents are holding educational programs in South Bay high schools so that kids are aware of the extreme dangers of handling dangerous drugs like fentanyl, of working with violent cartels, and the fallout from being arrested and charged with related crimes.

Anyone with concerns about potential recruiting is encouraged to call the local DEA office at 858-616-4100 or submit a tip to the Drug Enforcement Administration via its website, www.DEA.gov.

In federal court today, Webb admitted that he arranged for juvenile couriers to smuggle a total of 6.18 kilograms of methamphetamine and 1.2 kilograms of fentanyl into the United States from Mexico, for delivery in San Diego, on four occasions: July 12, 2017; September 19, 2017; September 27, 2017 and October 23, 2017. On each of these occasions, the juveniles had drugs strapped on their bodies as they attempted to enter the United States at the San Ysidro or Otay Mesa Ports of Entry.

He also admitted that on May 5, 2018, he knowingly drove two undocumented immigrants into the United States at the San Ysidro Port of Entry in the trunk of his car for financial gain.

Webb is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Michael M. Anello on October 9, 2018 at 10:15 a.m.

DEFENDANT                                   Case No. 18MJ2229

Phillip Junior Webb                            Age: 18       Tijuana, Mexico

CHARGES

Count 1 – Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine  (21 U.S.C. 841 & 846)

                  Maximum Penalty: Ten years minimum to life in custody; $1 million fine

Count 2 -  Bringing in Undocumented Aliens for Financial Gain (8 U.S.C. 1324)

                  Maximum Penatly: Three years mandatory minimum to 20 years in custody; $250,000 fine

AGENCY

Homeland Security Investigations

Drug Enforcement Administration

Customs & Border Protection

Homeland Security Investigations

San Diego County Sheriff’s Department

 

 

Assistant U. S. Attorney Sherri Walker Hobson (619) 961-0287

NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – May 7, 2018

SAN DIEGO – Phillip Junior Web, a high school senior at Castle Park High School, was charged in federal court today with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and bringing in unlawful aliens, including a Mexican national and Chinese national, for financial gain.  He was arraigned this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Bernard G. Skomal.

According to the court documents, the defendant was a high school senior who recruited other high school students to smuggle methamphetamine and fentanyl into the United States on multiple occasions, including on  July 1, 2017 (juvenile attempted to smuggle methamphetamine), September 19, 2017 (two juveniles attempted to smuggle methamphetamine), September 27, 2017 (juvenile attempted to smuggle methamphetamine), and October 23, 2017 (juvenile attempted to smuggle fentanyl).  On each of these occasions, the juveniles had drugs strapped on their bodies as they attempted to enter the United States at the San Ysidro or Otay Mesa Ports of Entry.

Last Friday, defendant Webb was caught attempting to bring in a Chinese national and Mexican national into the United States in the trunk of his vehicle. The defendant’s next court appearance is on May 10, 2018 for a detention hearing and May 21, 2018 for a preliminary examination before Judge Skomal. 

In an unrelated criminal complaint, defendant Alejandro Barba was charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. According to the complaint, agents saw a juvenile briefly enter Barba’s parked vehicle at the San Ysidro High School parking lot, remove items from his backpack, and then exit Barba’s vehicle.  Barba, the sole occupant and driver, was stopped and agents found five kilograms of methamphetamine in his back seat. According to the complaint, the unnamed juvenile had smuggled the methamphetamine through the border earlier that day.  Barba will appear for his initial appearance later this week.

“We are seeing a very troubling trend and we want to warn parents and high schoolers,” said U.S. Attorney Adam L. Braverman. “Our youth are being recruited by drug cartels to smuggle dangerous drugs across the border. We are going after the recruiters who exploit these kids, but the kids also need to know that they are gambling with their lives when they do this. Don’t throw away your future.”

DEFENDANT                                    Case No. 18MJ2229

Phillip Junior Webb                            Age: 18           Tijuana, Mexico

CHARGES

Count 1 –       Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine  (21 U.S.C. 841 & 846)

                        Maximum Penalty: Ten years minimum to life in custody; $1 million fine

Count 2 -        Bringing in Undocumented Aliens for Financial Gain (8 U.S.C. 1324)

                        Maximum Penalty: Three years mandatory minimum to 20 years in custody; $250,000 fine

DEFENDANT                                    Case No. 18MJ2147

Alejandro Barba                                 Age: 27           San Diego, California

CHARGES

Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine (21 U.S.C. 841 & 846)

Maximum Penalty: Ten years minimum to life in custody; $1 million fine 

AGENCIES

Homeland Security Investigations

Drug Enforcement Administration

Customs & Border Protection

San Diego County Sheriff’s Department

*The charges and allegations contained in a complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are no considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.