NO ESCAPE: MERCER GOES TO JAMAICA TO NAB DRUG SUSPECT

Beware would-be fugitives, the long arm of the law can reach you now even
in Jamaica -- thanks to a powerful new trend in American law enforcement.

The Mercer County Prosecutor's Office reported yesterday that Debrie
Coates, an alleged dead-beat dad on the lam from over 25 drug-related
charges out of Trenton was nabbed during a soccer game in Falmouth, Jamaica.

Prosecutor Dan Giaquinto said that Coates' arrest was the result of nearly
two-years of dogged-police work conducted by members of the Central Jersey
Fugitive Task Force [CJFTF], with an assist from their Caribbean
counterparts -- the Jamaican Fugitive Apprehension Team [JFAT].

Coates, who had been featured in a Trentonian "Most Wanted" feature in
1998, had been arrested during a 1994 drug bust in Trenton.

At least 25 separate drug-related charges -- including various counts of
possession, dealing and distribution -- were leveled against Coates as a
result of that and other previous arrests. He is also wanted for allegedly
selling a gun unlawfully.

The mother of Coates' two boys also has a claim against him for over
$10,000 in unpaid child support.

Detective Cory S. Kammler II, of the County Prosecutor's Office was
impressed by the gumption of the JFAT officers that arrested Coates during
the game.

When asked if that was a bold move, Kammler declared seriously "It was!"

Kammler explained that during the arrest, spectators who were friends of
Coates started a riot that damaged a Jamaican police vehicle.

No members of the JFAT group were seriously injured, he said.

Giaquinto explained that JFAT is a law enforcement entity composed of
Deputy U.S. Marshals as well as Jamaican police officers who work together
to arrest American fugitives hiding out on the Caribbean island.

It was created after the governments signed a mutual law enforcement treaty
eight months ago.

Coates' whereabouts had been discovered by members Central Jersey Fugitive
Task Force last year.

Kammler, along with fellow Detective Joseph Angarone and Deputy U.S.
Marshal Tim Hein, were the three task-force members directly responsible
for making the discovery.

Angarone, Kammler explained, obtained a provisional warrant that was sent
to JFAT in July 2000.JFAT officers hunted for Coates throughout the island
until the Jan. 2 arrest.

"This was a tremendous effort by the Task Force, which followed up numerous
leads and was able to successfully track Coates down," Giaquinto said.

"And I applaud the tenacious efforts of JFAT, who did not stop their
relentless pursuit until the defendant was in custody," he added.

Kammler said that fugitive task forces, created with officers from the U.S.
Marshal's Office, are a powerful new trend in American law enforcement.

He explained that U.S. Marshal's have the power, and the responsibility,
for arresting American fugitives throughout the world. The authority of
regular enforcement officers normally stops at the border of their local
jurisdictions.

As a result, requests for fugitive arrests originating from a task force
allied with the U.S. Marshal's Office have the power of that entire federal
agency backing it.

"They [fugitives] think they can escape into Morrisville, New York or
Massachusetts and that we can't arrest them ... we can do it," Kammler said.

"It's phenomenal. I tell you it works," he added.