News (Media Awareness Project) - US TX: El Paso Drug Trafficking Takes Hit |
| Title: | US TX: El Paso Drug Trafficking Takes Hit |
| Published On: | 2002-08-07 |
| Source: | El Paso Times (TX) |
| Fetched On: | 2008-08-30 02:52:54 |
EL PASO DRUG TRAFFICKING TAKES HIT
An El Paso-based marijuana trafficking operation that extended as far as Chicago, Atlanta and Woodbine, Ky., was dismantled when federal agents arrested or indicted 17 people, officials with the Drug Enforcement Administration said Tuesday.
The joint operation that involved federal and local agencies started in September 2001.
In the ensuing 11 months, authorities seized 25,106 pounds of marijuana and $1.2 million in cash in four states.
The marijuana came from Juarez and was destined for consumers from the Midwest to the Deep South and the Appalachian Mountains region of the Eastern United States, officials said.
Rogelio Guevara, chief of the DEA's worldwide operations, was in El Paso Tuesday to talk about the operation.
The drug smugglers "were a substantial threat to this area and the rest of the country. They moved tons of marijuana" supplied from Mexico, he said.
Guevara would not say whether the operation was tied to the Juarez drug cartel.
Six men were arrested in El Paso. They are Jesus Humberto Delgado, Victor Avila, Gerardo Garcia, Cesar Valtierrez, Eduardo Valdez and Gilberto Lerma.
Jorge Lopez was arrested in Miami, and Tipton Brown was detained in Kentucky. Three arrestees were already in jail in El Paso -- Clara Lugo, Arturo Vazquez and Luis Vazquez. The remaining suspects have been indicted but had not been arrested as of Tuesday.
Twelve other people have been charged in the Chicago area, five of whom were wanted in the state of Indiana, authorities said.
The DEA deployed a regional enforcement team to El Paso to help with the investigation and to coordinate efforts by federal and state agencies and the El Paso County Sheriff's Department and the El Paso Police Department.
"This operation represented a best-case scenario when it came to working together," Guevara said.
Lt. Gabe Serna of the El Paso Police Department said the law enforcement agencies decided to work together when they realized they were working on the same cases.
"Delgado was one of our targets, and he was one of their targets as well," Serna said.
"There was also a warehouse on the East Side with 600 to 800 pounds of marijuana that the (El Paso Police) Stash House Unit had found and the DEA knew about it, too," he said.
An El Paso-based marijuana trafficking operation that extended as far as Chicago, Atlanta and Woodbine, Ky., was dismantled when federal agents arrested or indicted 17 people, officials with the Drug Enforcement Administration said Tuesday.
The joint operation that involved federal and local agencies started in September 2001.
In the ensuing 11 months, authorities seized 25,106 pounds of marijuana and $1.2 million in cash in four states.
The marijuana came from Juarez and was destined for consumers from the Midwest to the Deep South and the Appalachian Mountains region of the Eastern United States, officials said.
Rogelio Guevara, chief of the DEA's worldwide operations, was in El Paso Tuesday to talk about the operation.
The drug smugglers "were a substantial threat to this area and the rest of the country. They moved tons of marijuana" supplied from Mexico, he said.
Guevara would not say whether the operation was tied to the Juarez drug cartel.
Six men were arrested in El Paso. They are Jesus Humberto Delgado, Victor Avila, Gerardo Garcia, Cesar Valtierrez, Eduardo Valdez and Gilberto Lerma.
Jorge Lopez was arrested in Miami, and Tipton Brown was detained in Kentucky. Three arrestees were already in jail in El Paso -- Clara Lugo, Arturo Vazquez and Luis Vazquez. The remaining suspects have been indicted but had not been arrested as of Tuesday.
Twelve other people have been charged in the Chicago area, five of whom were wanted in the state of Indiana, authorities said.
The DEA deployed a regional enforcement team to El Paso to help with the investigation and to coordinate efforts by federal and state agencies and the El Paso County Sheriff's Department and the El Paso Police Department.
"This operation represented a best-case scenario when it came to working together," Guevara said.
Lt. Gabe Serna of the El Paso Police Department said the law enforcement agencies decided to work together when they realized they were working on the same cases.
"Delgado was one of our targets, and he was one of their targets as well," Serna said.
"There was also a warehouse on the East Side with 600 to 800 pounds of marijuana that the (El Paso Police) Stash House Unit had found and the DEA knew about it, too," he said.
Member Comments |
No member comments available...
