Pubdate: Fri, 12 May 2000 Source: San Diego Union Tribune (CA) Copyright: 2000 Union-Tribune Publishing Co. Contact: PO Box 120191, San Diego, CA, 92112-0191 Fax: (619) 293-1440 Website: http://www.uniontrib.com/ Forum: http://www.uniontrib.com/cgi-bin/WebX Author: Marisa Taylor, Staff Writer U.S. GOES AFTER ARELLANOS WITH MURDER CHARGES Just-Unsealed Indictment Says They Head Vicious Drug Cartel For the first time in a long and sometimes frustrating investigation, U.S. authorities have unveiled charges accusing the alleged leaders of the Arellano Feix drug cartel of ordering a string of murders and kidnappings in Mexico. In an indictment unsealed yesterday, prosecutors also accuse brothers Benjamin and Ramon Arellano Felix of at least one attempted murder in the United States. The reputed Tijuana-based drug ringleaders also allegedly recruited San Diego gang members who mistakenly killed a Mexican Roman Catholic cardinal during a 1993 attempt to assassinate a rival, according to the charges. Federal prosecutors and agents said the 10-count indictment underscores what authorities have long suspected: the Arellanos use force and intimidation to control a vast drug-trafficking corridor or "plaza" through Baja California. In what prosecutors described as one of the most vivid shows of force, Cardinal Juan Jesus Posadas Ocampo was killed in a hail of bullets as he arrived at Guadalajara Airport. The indictment accuses the Arellanos of recruiting Logan Heights gang members to kill a rival drug trafficker. Prosecutors said the cardinal was killed by mistake. The two brothers have long eluded authorities on both sides of the border. Ramon was named in an earlier drug indictment and is still at large despite being placed on the FBI's 10 Most Wanted List almost three years ago. Benjamin was charged as early as 1989 but is still in hiding. U.S. officials said recent developments in Mexico signal that authorities are closer than ever to arresting the Arellanos. "This is the first time in many years that the leaders of the Arellano Felix organization are on the run," said U.S. Attorney Gregory Vega. U.S. authorities have offered up to $2 million for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the brothers. Mexican authorities also are offering a reward. The unsealing of the indictments demonstrated what authorities said is continuing cooperation between the U.S. and Mexican governments to break up the drug ring. U.S. prosecutors and agents were joined by Mariano Heran Salvati, Mexico's drug czar, who praised the indictments as a signal that the U.S. government is determined to aggressively pursue drug traffickers who operate in Mexico. Vega said the Arellanos could flee to the United States because Mexican authorities are placing increasing pressure on the cartel. "We are unsealing the indictment at this time so that the public will be able to recognize the leaders of the Arellano Felix organization in the event that they attempt to enter the United States," he said. The indictment also accuses brothers Benjamin, 45, and Ramon, 35, in the 1997 attempted murder in Chula Vista of a drug trafficking associate they suspected of cooperating with authorities. The brothers, who are believed to be living in Mexico, are accused of an unspecified number of murders of Mexican law enforcement officers and rival drug traffickers. But prosecutors refused to divulge the names of the victims, citing concerns for the safety of witnesses. In addition, the indictment accuses the brothers of bribing unidentified public officials, money laundering and smuggling cocaine and marijuana. However, prosecutors did cite the case of Sergio Rubalcava Sandoval, a former top official of Baja California's State Judicial Police. Although he was not named in the indictment, Sandoval, a Bonita resident, pleaded guilty in March to overseeing a drug transportation ring that authorities said was connected to the Arellanos. The indictment was handed down by a San Diego federal jury in November but kept secret until yesterday. "It was under seal because efforts were being made by authorities to attempt to locate the brothers to determine whether they were in the United States," Vega said. If arrested and convicted in the United States, the brothers face up to life in prison and fines of $27 million. The indictment is the second in two weeks to be unsealed against leaders of the Tijuana-based cartel. Last week, U.S. prosecutors unsealed their indictment against Ismael Higuera Guerrero after his arrest by Mexican authorities. Federal officials said Benjamin is the unrivaled leader of the cartel. Ramon is believed to be the enforcer. The Arellano family, composed of seven brothers and four sisters, is believed to have inherited the organization from Miguel Angel Felix Gallardo following his incarceration in Mexico in 1989 for complicity in the murder of Enrique "Kiki" Camarena, a special agent of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. In 1989, Benjamin Arellano was indicted in San Diego on conspiracy and drug charges, but that indictment was handed down before he rose to prominence in the cartel, prosecutors said. The latest indictment also bolsters any charges the brothers would face in Mexico. If for some reason, Mexico could not prosecute the brothers once they are arrested, the United States would be prepared to seek extradition. If the two are caught in Mexico, they would first be prosecuted by Mexican authorities because of the provisions of a 1980 U.S.-Mexico extradition treaty. But U.S. authorities are awaiting a Mexican court ruling on the extradition of Arturo Paez Martinez, who was arrested at the request of U.S. authorities in 1997. Paez is accused by U.S. authorities of working under Higuera in the Arellano cartel. - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D