BUST SAID TO CLOSE MAJOR DRUG PIPELINE

Most Sold In East Tampa, Police Say

TAMPA - An international drug trafficking ring that transported about
$450,000 worth of cocaine and heroin a month into Tampa, much of it
secreted in computer hard drives, has been put out of business, authorities
announced Wednesday.

Seven men, some from Tampa, have been charged.

Most of the drugs were sold in east Tampa, said members of the Tampa's High
Intensity Drug Trafficking Area task force during a news conference at
police headquarters.

The cocaine was mailed from addresses in Cali and Barranquilla in Colombia
to Tampa addresses on East Ida Street, East Flora Street, East New Orleans
Avenue, East Chelsea Avenue and North 20th Street.

The organization supplied "much of the cocaine and heroin sold on our
streets," said Tampa police Capt. R.J. Guidara.

The drugs were hidden inside hard drives and false compartments of
bookbinders and shipped in Federal Express or United Parcel Service or
regular mail packages.

Arrested so far are Tampa residents Eduardo Jonesia, 49, a Panamanian
national, who investigators say was the ringleader of the gang; Henry
Wilson, 50, a Honduran citizen; Willie Bobby Jenkins, 27; and Calvin
Wilson, 46.

Matthew Taylor, 21, of Pinellas County and Jeremy Perez-Martinez, 22, and
Marcos Caraballo, 40, two Colombians who live in Houston, also were
arrested. Capt. Hugh Miller said all are charged with drug trafficking and
conspiracy to traffic cocaine and heroin. Additional charges are pending,
Miller said.

The drugs were kept and sold at an auto body repair shop at 1601 East
Columbus Drive, authorities said.

Between September 2000 and May, investigators intercepted eight packages.
Collectively, they contained about a pound of cocaine and nearly 4 pounds
of heroin sent from Colombia, Miller said. More cocaine was driven here by
conspirators from Houston.

The investigation, dubbed Operation Cybersmack, resulted from Bureau of
Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents intercepting the eight parcels
of drugs, authorities said.

In May, investigators obtained wiretaps on five locations used by the
traffickers. About 11 pounds of cocaine was seized, 1.3 pounds of heroin,
three vehicles, a firearm and $125,000 in drug sale proceeds.

The operation focused on the east Tampa neighborhoods of College Hill,
Belmont Heights and Live Oaks Square, Miller said.

The announcement is the second antidrug initiative in East Tampa announced
in less than a month. In May, Tampa launched a massive anticrime and
rejuvenation project for east Tampa called Operation Commitment. Much of
the initiative targets open-air cocaine and marijuana markets.