U.S. MILITARY PATROLS SEIZE TONS OF COCAINE ON 3 BOATS

TAMPA - Nearly 19 tons of cocaine, worth millions, was seized recently in
the government's top secret investigation of Colombia's drug cartels.

The U.S. Coast Guard arrested 19 Colombians aboard three boats in the
eastern Pacific from Feb. 3 to Feb. 12. Officials believe it is a record
cocaine seizure for the Coast Guard during a one-week period.

This is the latest step in Operation Panama Express, the biggest drug case
in the United States. The prosecution is being run out of Tampa.

During the past two years, more than 120 tons of cocaine has been seized or
destroyed at sea and 178 sailors arrested on smuggling charges. The cocaine
has been found on powerful ``go-fast'' boats or on big, decrepit vessels
disguised as fishing boats.

The first seizures were made off the coasts of Colombia and Ecuador. But
recently, the Coast Guard found cocaine on boats off Peru, Guatemala and
Costa Rica. Prosecutors say all of it was bound for the United States.

On Feb. 3, the Coast Guard seized a Colombian speedboat off Guatemala with
2.5 tons of cocaine aboard. Four Colombians were arrested: Eduardo
Rodriguez-Quinonez, Carlos Castro-Aramburo, Epifanio Cuero-Renteria and
Morado Sanchez.

On Feb. 11, the Navy and Coast Guard seized a 70-foot wooden Colombian
fishing vessel off Peru. Authorities found 12.6 tons of cocaine in the fish
holds.

Nine were arrested: Alberto Salas Estupinan, Justino Torres Posso,
Adalberto Torres Torres, Baltazar Camacho Rojas, Nelson Ivan Viveros Gomez,
Mario Roberto Salcedo, Edgar Estupinan Estupinan, Mariano Estupinan and
Pablo Efrain Obando.

The vessel was not seaworthy and sunk at sea, authorities said.

On Feb. 12, two Coast Guard cutters spotted a Colombian go-fast boat about
200 miles off the coast of Costa Rica. The men aboard the boat tried to
flee and began dumping bales of cocaine overboard. U.S. helicopters fired
100 shots across the bow of the boat trying to stop it. The boat stopped
once shots were fired into its engine, prosecutors said.

Authorities retrieved 3.4 tons of cocaine from the boat and the ocean. Six
Colombians were arrested: Boja Flomiro, Hemerys Hernandez Caliado, Mario
Gonzalez, Angel Maria Betancon, Sacas Hemes and Edgar Leon-Rivera.

All are in jail pending trial.

Prosecutors also await the extradition of seven alleged middle-managers of
the Cali drug cartel. They were arrested in Colombia in December.