Galvan-Chavez to serve life in prison
BY JOE CULPEPPER Gulf Breeze News Joe@gulfbreezenews.com

Rogelio Galvan-Chavez, the former owner of now-closed Cancun Mexican Grill in Gulf Breeze, was sentenced to life in prison April 30 for operating a drug ring from his business and violating immigration laws.

Galvan-Chavez, 35, was convicted in February for conspiracy to possess or distribute five or more kilograms of cocaine and 500 or more grams of methamphetamine.

Other crimes for which Galvan-Chavez was found guilty were harboring illegal immigrants, using a cellular phone in the commission of an unlawful act, and a firearms charge.

U.S. District Judge Casey Rodgers also ordered the forfeiture of Galvan-Chavez's interest in the restaurant.

The U.S. Marshal's Service seized the property May 2. Notice has been issued to any third-party claimant who believes they have an ownership interest in the restaurant.

If any third-party declares an interest, it will be up to the court to resolve the issue of ownership. Then the court will issue a final order of forfeiture to all parties, which will direct the U.S. Marshal's Service to put the property on the market for sale.

A bid process typically will follow through a real estate company.

A likely timeframe for this process is unknown.

Local, state and federal authorities working in tandem spent 10 months investigating the drug operation. Undercover agents purchased drugs from operatives associated with Galvan-Chavez. Other surveillance, including wiretaps, resulted in a raid on three restaurants owned by Chavez including Cancun Mexican Grill at 1385 Shoreline Drive in Gulf Breeze. The other restaurants were Cancun's Navarre and 7 Mares Mexican Restaurant in Pensacola.

Chavez's home on Great Oaks Drive in Midway and three other residences also were raided.

Twenty-five people were arrested in the raids, 15 of whom were to be deported. One was arrested on a separate warrant, and nine were to face prosecution for federal charges. Of the nine who initially appeared in federal court, prosecutors said Galvan-Chavez was the only one residing in the Unites States legally.

Evidence supporting the raids and arrests was detailed in a 145-page affidavit that implicated Galvan-Chavez as being the kingpin of a local drug ring.

According to the document, Galvan-Chavez and his associates procured narcotics from Atlanta or Birmingham, Ala. and distributed them in Northwest Florida. The document also stated that informants cooperating with police were able to obtain fraudulent social security cards and guns through Galvan-Chavez' associates.

Galvan-Chavez, Cesar Maldonado-Bazquez, 28; Alejandro Hatem-Hernandez, 28; Antioco Cabrera-Esquival, 34 and Jesus Rodriguez-Orosco, 34, faced charges of conspiring to possess and distribute cocaine and methamphetamine.

Rodriguez-Orosco, Hatem- Hernandez, and Miguel Angel- Gamez, 38, faced charges of committing illegal re-entry to the United States after being denied admission or being deported. José Louis Martinez- Alvarez, 30, and Fernando Alcazar-Carmona, 26, faced charges of possessing fraudulent immigration documents, and Jose Louis Vieyra- Camarillo, 30, was arrested for being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm.

Goldberg said the government intended to seize the Gulf Breeze Cancun's property after Galvan-Chavez's conviction.

Investigators say they were able to organize several illegal transactions between informants, Hatem-Hernandez and Jesus Rodriguez-Orosco.

In one incident, the affidavit states an undercover informant met with Hatem-Hernandez at Cancun's in Gulf Breeze to discuss the purchase of several fake social security cards.