EX-TEAMSTERS OFFICIAL ACCUSED OF RUNNING DRUG RING

8 People Arrested In Bust Of Alleged Fla. Smuggling Operation

A former president of the Teamsters union in South Florida is accused of
running a drug ring that slipped about 47 tons of cocaine and marijuana
through ports in Miami and Fort Lauderdale, then laundered the proceeds
through a pornographer in California.

A 43-count federal indictment unsealed Monday in Fort Lauderdale named
Clarence Lark, former president of Teamsters Local 390, and Larry Crenshaw,
Lark's brother-in-law, as co-conspirators.

The indictment says Lark and Crenshaw used the money to finance Star's
Choice, which rented trucks to movie and television production companies
filming in South Florida. Prosecutors also say the men extorted money from
rank-and-file union members who sought jobs as truck drivers for the film
industry.

U.S. Customs agents and other federal authorities arrested Lark, Crenshaw
and six other alleged co-conspirators over the weekend. Among those
arrested was John Gallo of Bermuda Dunes, Calif., who is charged with
laundering more than $1 million from narcotics sales through foreign banks
and companies that produced and marketed pornography.

Two members of the International Longshoreman's Association were also among
the eight people arrested. A ninth person, William Garcia, escaped arrest
and is a fugitive, Customs spokesman Dean Boyd said Monday. Garcia is
accused of being a cocaine supplier.

Prosecutors will seek forfeiture of $11 million in cash, 15 vehicles owned
by Lark's trucking business and Gallo's interests in at least three
pornography businesses.

The Teamsters had stripped the local presidency from Lark in 1996 after
accusing him and his brother-in-law of nepotism and extortion. The union
charged that Lark awarded at least 17 of 60 lucrative movie industry jobs
to relatives and supporters and then solicited those union members for cash
gifts and contributions to his re-election campaign.

Lark, who served as Local 390 president from 1979 to 1996, denied the charges.

The newest charges stem from a three-year investigation that began after a
narcotics seizure in 1997 at Port Everglades near Fort Lauderdale. Customs
and DEA agents have arrested 46 people, including 35 dock workers and
contract security workers, on drug smuggling or related offenses.

Port of Miami and Port Everglades rank among the top drug smuggling sites
in the nation. From 1996 through 1998, authorities seized 63,662 pounds of
cocaine at the Port of Miami and 30,283 at Port Everglades.

In 1999, authorities caught 27,126 pounds coming through the ports. This
year, cocaine seizures have dropped while marijuana seizures have increased.

In early October, Customs found 1,235 pounds of cocaine worth $8.4 million
and 3,283 pounds of marijuana worth $1.5 million concealed in cargo
containers at Port Everglades.

Two weeks ago, Customs seized 375 pounds of cocaine and 5.5 pounds of
heroin at the Miami Seaport.