FEDERAL INDICTMENT SHUTS DOWN S. FLORIDA COMPANY

Wire Firm Accused Of Money Laundering

The nation's third-largest wire-transfer company, heavily used by
South Florida's fast-growing Colombian community, shut down its
operations Thursday following a federal indictment for money
laundering.

The family-run Gloria Envia, whose main office is at 7323 NW 36th
St., ranks as the largest wire transfer company in Florida. Among
local Colombians, Gloria Envia (``Gloria sends'' in English) is their
Western Union, known for fast and affordable money transfers to their
troubled homeland.

The crackdown was the result of a 17-month multiagency investigation
that culminated with the indictment of 15 employees from Gloria Envia
and a second wire company -- United Express Envios, 9540 SW 137th
Ave. The employees face a maximum sentence of 20 years if convicted,
officials said.

Investigators said the two companies knowingly wired drug profits and
transferred sums in excess of $10,000 without properly documenting
the transactions.

The tentacles of the investigation will spread far beyond those two
businesses. On Thursday, U.S. Attorney Janet Reno signed off on 83
federal search warrants to continue investigations into
subcontractors of Gloria Envia in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach
counties.

``We are not saying that these businesses know they are involved in
illegal activity,'' said Vincent Mazzilli, special agent in charge
for the Drug Enforcement Agency's Miami field division.

In the case of Gloria Envia -- which also operates out of dozens of
small businesses, including bakeries and travel agencies -- employees
allegedly camouflaged drug money transfers by borrowing the
identities of patrons who bought plane tickets and other services,
investigators said.

South Florida Colombians reacted to the news of Gloria Envia's
shutdown with a mixture of surprise and skepticism.

``I'm shocked,'' said Juan Carlos Zapata, a Colombian activist who
staged a recent bid for the Miami-Dade County Commission. ``I am
always a bit skeptical of these things, because I have seen too many
cases where the government has been a little overzealous.''

Zapata described Gloria Puche, matriarch of the Gloria Envia empire,
and her three indicted sons -- Enrique, Mauricio and Orlando -- as
``very decent people.'' He said the wire company has an excellent
reputation in the community.

He pointed out that Colombians fleeing mass kidnappings and violence
at home are often uprooted at a moment's notice and travel with large
sums of cash because of a widespread mistrust of banks.

``When it comes to Colombian cases, there seems to be a double
standard: Basically, they have to prove themselves innocent,'' Zapata
said. ``Everyone else is innocent until proven guilty.''

In Hialeah, Victor Villa, owner of Los Tres Monitos, a Colombian
bakery, had his own theory about the bust.

``I don't think it was money laundering,'' Villa said. ``I think it
could have been the jealousy of the other big wire companies that
want to knock them out of the market.''

Investigators said the two indicted companies handled large sums:
allegedly laundering $300 million during the last year.

The government believes that $52 billion is transferred out of the
country illegally every year.

``Money laundering remains the lifeblood of the narcotics trade in
South Florida,'' said Kenneth Blanco, of the U.S. attorney's office.

As part of the investigation, law enforcement officials posing as
drug dealers delivered cardboard boxes piled with small bills to both
businesses. The bills were later exchanged for $100 bills, officials
said. The businesses also agreed to wire transfer the drug money out
of the country, officials said.

Over the course of the investigation, the agents delivered $2.3
million to the businesses.

Mazzilli said the investigation teamed together 17 area police
departments, including Miami-Dade, Hialeah, Miami and Miami Beach.

Indicted Thursday: Enrique Puche, Mauricio Puche, Orlando Puche,
Wilder Moreno, Raul Espinosa, Ana Arbelaez, Daniel Pratt, Danela
Arbelaez, Zaidy Rojas, Sandra Serna, Fernando Torres, Carmina Garzon,
Guadelupe Lnu, Cecilia Lnu and Edgar Pratt.