COCAINE BUST NETS 55 KILOS, 9 ARRESTS

Nine people were arrested and 55 kilograms of cocaine seized from a
Brentwood home, federal prosecutors said, in what was described as
one of the largest cocaine busts ever in middle Tennessee.

The bust also led to the seizure of $1.1 million in cash from an
organization that was operating as a major pipeline of cocaine from
Mexico to Nashville and nearby counties, according to officials from
the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.

Five of the individuals arrested are Mexican nationals who were in
the country illegally, the federal officials said. The remaining
suspects are U.S. citizens.

The cocaine was discovered Oct. 26 inside the altered gas tank of a
truck, officials said. Surveillance officers followed the truck from
a truck stop to the Brentwood home, then observed individuals
dismantling the vehicle.

Officials also seized almost $500,000 from a hidden compartment in a
vehicle driven by a courier for the drug-trafficking operation, the
U.S. Attorney's office said in a news release.

The investigation began in October 2004 and targeted large-scale drug
trafficking operations based in Dalton, Ga., officials said.

During the investigation, law enforcement officials determined that
individuals in the Dalton, Ga., area were arranging for cocaine
shipments to Nashville.