Pubdate: Thu, 21 Jun 2001
Source: Dallas Morning News (TX)
Copyright: 2001 The Dallas Morning News
Contact:  http://www.dallasnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/117
Author:  Russ Rizzo

268 ARRESTS CRUSH DRUG OPERATION

Sweep Shuts Major Pipeline Into U.S.

WASHINGTON - Federal law-enforcement authorities said Wednesday they 
have crushed a major drug trafficking operation responsible for 
smuggling Colombian cocaine and marijuana through Mexico into Texas 
and other U.S. destinations.

The 18-month "Operation Marquis," which involved participation from 
Mexican and Colombian law enforcement, netted 268 arrests, 76 of them 
occurring in an early-morning sweep Wednesday in 16 U.S. cities.

"We believe that today's takedown resulted in a dismantling of a 
significant international criminal organization from top to bottom," 
Assistant Attorney General Michael Chertoff said.

The operation, led by the Drug Enforcement Administration, shut down 
a pipeline that funneled tens of millions of dollars worth of 
marijuana and cocaine through Laredo to at least a dozen U.S. cities, 
including Dallas, Houston, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Atlanta.

Officials said at a news conference at DEA headquarters that they 
seized 9,000 kilograms of cocaine, 28,000 pounds of marijuana and 
$12.5 million in cash during the investigation. Much of that was 
found in Texas, including 6,000 kilograms of cocaine, 20,000 pounds 
of marijuana and nearly $6 million in cash.

Sixty-four of the arrests were made Wednesday by police in Texas, 
including Laredo, San Antonio and Austin. Three suspected traffickers 
have been indicted on drug and murder charges in connection with 
three killings in San Antonio. DEA officials said 60 homicides in the 
San Antonio area have been linked to traffickers connected to the 
drug ring.

A Corona beer warehouse in Laredo was among the sites searched 
Wednesday, and authorities arrested one worker there.

The operation, which involved the participation of numerous federal 
and local law enforcement agencies, also received assistance south of 
the border.

DEA officials praised improved cooperation between U.S. and Mexican 
law enforcement. Mexico's President Vicente Fox has called for a 
closer law-enforcement relationship between the two countries.

During earlier investigations, U.S. officials kept Mexican law 
enforcement at arm's length, concerned about corruption in the 
Mexican ranks.

Fox Praised

"The Fox administration has clearly demonstrated that it takes drug 
trafficking very seriously," DEA Deputy Administrator William 
Simpkins said. "Operation Marquis is a wonderful example of the 
increasing cooperation between law enforcement agencies in our two 
nations."

U.S. officials have forwarded to Mexico the names of 14 smuggling 
suspects sought in connection with the investigation. Alcides Ramon 
Magana, suspected of being a central player in the smuggling 
operation, was arrested last week by Mexican authorities.

There was no immediate comment in Mexico City, where officials at the 
attorney general's office said they were reviewing the news release 
from the U.S. Embassy. Mr. Fox's office referred the matter to the 
attorney general.

DEA officials said that the list of smuggling suspects contains two 
other key players in the drug ring, including Vincente Carillo 
Fuentes. He is the brother of drug lord Amado Carillo Fuentes, the 
so-called "Lord of the Skies" who died in 1997 during plastic surgery.

Truckers, Warehouses

The bulk of the U.S. arrests involve truckers and warehouse workers, 
who ferried the drugs but were not high-level operatives in the 
trafficking ring, DEA officials said. While DEA officials said they 
have traced the operation back to suppliers in Colombia, no arrests 
have been made there, they said.

DEA officials said drugs originating in Colombia were flown to Nuevo 
Laredo, Mexico, in radar-evading planes that can carry as much as 300 
kilograms of cocaine. From there, smugglers trucked the drugs through 
the busy Laredo traffic corridor to warehouses there, for later 
distribution throughout the United States on tractor trailers 
carrying produce and in vehicles with concealed compartments. 
Handlers also mailed packages of cocaine and marijuana over the 
border, DEA officials said.

The investigation began in July 1999 with a routine stop of a truck 
in Indianapolis transporting 600 kilograms of cocaine from Nuevo 
Laredo. DEA officials said they began connecting seemingly unrelated 
seizures and stops in cities including Laredo and Dallas.

While DEA officials said the operation has dealt a major blow to the 
drug ring, they noted that it's only a temporary disruption in the 
flow of drugs into the United States.

"It's a disruptive impact," said Mike Furgason, who heads the DEA's 
special operations divisions. Drug traffickers are "going to have to 
retool and spend a lot of money and resources to approach this again."

Staff writer Laurence Iliff in Mexico City contributed to this report.
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