Sharky
6 December 2000, 06:06
Authorities seize 35,000 pounds of marijuana in drug bust
El Paso
The Drug Enforcement Agency on Tuesday announced the seizure of 35,000 pounds of marijuana and another $1 million in cash. One official called it the area's biggest drug bust in five years.
Nine men were arrested in the case and authorities said the activity was connected to the Vicente Carrillo Fuentes cartel based in Juarez, although they wouldn't provide any specifics.
The marijuana was worth an estimated $35 million.
``This is the largest in the last five years,'' Robert Castillo, special agent in charge of the DEA's El Paso field division, said at a Tuesday news conference. ``We strongly believe this is part of the Carrillo Fuentes organization.''
Castillo said the drug operation was set up in an El Paso warehouse and provided a staging area where, for more than two years, about 7,500 pounds of marijuana was been shipped four times each month to cities in the eastern U.S.
``El Paso is recognized as one of the top smuggling corridors in the United States,'' said Jimmy Apodaca, El Paso County Sheriff's Department chief deputy. ``This load itself is very significant.''
"I'm not saying it's going to destroy the organization I think it's going to disrupt it," said Robert Castillo of the DEA.
Authorities conducted the bust over a period of five days, culminating with a Saturday raid on the warehouse when most of contraband was seized.
Carrillo Fuentes is charged with importing and distributing tons of cocaine and marijuana into the United States since 1985. He is still at large and is believed to be in control of virtually all drug trafficking in the Juarez and El Paso areas.
Carrillo Fuentes was charged earlier this year with ordering the deaths of 10 people who knew of cartel operations. Seven of the victims were found last year at Ciudad Juarez ranch sites and the other three victims, a Mexican police officer and his two sons, were found on a bridge between Ciudad Juarez and El Paso in 1994.
Carrillo Fuentes is the younger brother of Amado Carrillo Fuentes, who for years ran the cartel.
Known as the ``Lord of the Skies'' for using jets to carry narcotics into the United States, Amado Carrillo Fuentes was Mexico's top cocaine trafficker before he died in July 1997 after botched plastic surgery.
The men arrested in the bust, Pedro Valdivia, 26, Jose Antonio Sandoval, 22, Moises Medina Beltran, 47, Jorge Armando Valdivia Sandoval, 21, Ramon Ernesto Macias Roman, 29, Andres Varela, 22, Jorge Raul Marquez, 24, David Hernandez, 24, and Leonardo Chaves Flores, 27, were described as caretakers of the warehouse operation.
Each is charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana. They were being held in the El Paso County Jail. Authorities will present their case to an El Paso grand jury on Wednesday.
``It looks like serious time, about 20 years (each), if they are convicted,'' said U.S. Attorney Bill Blagg.
Castillo said the man in charge of the warehouse operation, Gerardo Ulloa Rodriguez, was ``a Mexican national living in Mexico.'' He said there may be more arrests in the case.
Castillo said information on the case has not been sent to Mexican authorities.
``It's a transition time'' with new Mexican President Vicente Fox just inaugurated, Blagg said. ``It's just too early. We're going to see what our relationship is with them. It's promising.''
ABC 7 and the Associated Press
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F.I.D.O.
El Paso
The Drug Enforcement Agency on Tuesday announced the seizure of 35,000 pounds of marijuana and another $1 million in cash. One official called it the area's biggest drug bust in five years.
Nine men were arrested in the case and authorities said the activity was connected to the Vicente Carrillo Fuentes cartel based in Juarez, although they wouldn't provide any specifics.
The marijuana was worth an estimated $35 million.
``This is the largest in the last five years,'' Robert Castillo, special agent in charge of the DEA's El Paso field division, said at a Tuesday news conference. ``We strongly believe this is part of the Carrillo Fuentes organization.''
Castillo said the drug operation was set up in an El Paso warehouse and provided a staging area where, for more than two years, about 7,500 pounds of marijuana was been shipped four times each month to cities in the eastern U.S.
``El Paso is recognized as one of the top smuggling corridors in the United States,'' said Jimmy Apodaca, El Paso County Sheriff's Department chief deputy. ``This load itself is very significant.''
"I'm not saying it's going to destroy the organization I think it's going to disrupt it," said Robert Castillo of the DEA.
Authorities conducted the bust over a period of five days, culminating with a Saturday raid on the warehouse when most of contraband was seized.
Carrillo Fuentes is charged with importing and distributing tons of cocaine and marijuana into the United States since 1985. He is still at large and is believed to be in control of virtually all drug trafficking in the Juarez and El Paso areas.
Carrillo Fuentes was charged earlier this year with ordering the deaths of 10 people who knew of cartel operations. Seven of the victims were found last year at Ciudad Juarez ranch sites and the other three victims, a Mexican police officer and his two sons, were found on a bridge between Ciudad Juarez and El Paso in 1994.
Carrillo Fuentes is the younger brother of Amado Carrillo Fuentes, who for years ran the cartel.
Known as the ``Lord of the Skies'' for using jets to carry narcotics into the United States, Amado Carrillo Fuentes was Mexico's top cocaine trafficker before he died in July 1997 after botched plastic surgery.
The men arrested in the bust, Pedro Valdivia, 26, Jose Antonio Sandoval, 22, Moises Medina Beltran, 47, Jorge Armando Valdivia Sandoval, 21, Ramon Ernesto Macias Roman, 29, Andres Varela, 22, Jorge Raul Marquez, 24, David Hernandez, 24, and Leonardo Chaves Flores, 27, were described as caretakers of the warehouse operation.
Each is charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana. They were being held in the El Paso County Jail. Authorities will present their case to an El Paso grand jury on Wednesday.
``It looks like serious time, about 20 years (each), if they are convicted,'' said U.S. Attorney Bill Blagg.
Castillo said the man in charge of the warehouse operation, Gerardo Ulloa Rodriguez, was ``a Mexican national living in Mexico.'' He said there may be more arrests in the case.
Castillo said information on the case has not been sent to Mexican authorities.
``It's a transition time'' with new Mexican President Vicente Fox just inaugurated, Blagg said. ``It's just too early. We're going to see what our relationship is with them. It's promising.''
ABC 7 and the Associated Press
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F.I.D.O.