United States v. Oscar Bueno, 703 F.3d 1053

Bueno and Gonzalez-Zavala were members of a Chicago cell of the La Familia Michoacana drug trafficking organization investigated by the DEA.
Gonzalez-Zavala served as a leader and supervisor from 2007–2009, overseeing distribution of cocaine and collection of proceeds, with stash houses in Joliet and Plainfield.
Between November 2008 and April 2009, Bueno and Flores transported approximately $3 million in cash proceeds to Texas for return to Mexico.
DEA surveillance followed intercepted conversations (April 14–15, 2009) about transporting narcotics proceeds from Chicago to Mexico, leading to stop of a blue van on April 16, 2009.
Trooper Owen stopped the van for speeding; after initial warning, he expanded the stop to investigate the packages and Flores’ business, culminating in a canine alert and seizure of about $2.7 million.
Bueno moved to suppress the stop and its fruits, arguing the detention extended beyond the lawful stop duration; Gonzalez-Zavala challenged his sentence enhancements at sentencing.

Issue	Plaintiff's Argument	Defendant's Argument	Held
Whether the stop of the van violated the Fourth Amendment	Bueno contends the stop extended beyond the warning and was unlawful.	The government argues prolonged questioning was justified by reasonable suspicion and later probable cause.	Stop extended but justified by reasonable suspicion and developments; suppression denied.
Whether the district court properly applied the enhancements under 2D1.1(b)(12) and 2D1.1(b)(14)(E)	Gonzalez-Zavala argues the evidence did not prove stash-house maintenance or livelihood pattern.	The district court reasonably found maintenance of stash houses and a livelihood-based pattern of criminal conduct.	Enhancements affirmed; evidence supported both 2D1.1(b)(12) and 2D1.1(b)(14)(E).

Whren v. United States, 517 U.S. 806 (U.S. 1996) (reasonable traffic-stop basis; from inception to duration)
Caballes, 543 U.S. 405 (U.S. 2005) (prolonged traffic stop must be justified by lenient duration)
Muriel, 418 F.3d 720 (7th Cir. 2005) (consensual encounters do not trigger Fourth Amendment scrutiny)
Childs, 277 F.3d 947 (7th Cir. 2002) (reasonable prolongation if questions pose little inconvenience and detect crime)
McBride, 635 F.3d 879 (7th Cir. 2011) (extension of stop allowed by reasonable suspicion; minor delays)
Arizona v. Johnson, 555 U.S. 323 (U.S. 2009) (inquiry unrelated to stop basis may not measurably extend stop)
Pringle, 540 U.S. 366 (U.S. 2003) (common enterprise inference among car occupants; probable cause can arise from shared occupancy)
Reed, 443 F.3d 600 (7th Cir. 2006) (currency related to illegal drug transactions often wrapped to evade detection)
Slone, 636 F.3d 845 (7th Cir. 2011) (probable cause standards and totality-of-circumstances analysis in arrests)