ARRESTS 'GUTTED' DRUG RING, POLICE CHIEF SAYS

A Green Bay cocaine ring busted by police Thursday distributed more
than 11 pounds of cocaine throughout Wisconsin and had connections as
far away as California.

Simultaneous raids at 12 suspected drug houses in Green Bay "literally
gutted the organization that put this poison on our streets," Green
Bay police Chief James Lewis said at a news conference. Nineteen
people were arrested during the early morning raids.

The suspects appeared at an afternoon hearing before U.S. Magistrate
James Sickel. They were charged in a federal indictment with
conspiracy to distribute cocaine. If convicted, they face up to life
in prison and fines of up to $4 million.

Authorities called it the largest drug bust in Brown County, with more
than 1 kilogram, or 2.2 pounds, of cocaine seized. In the past, area
drug enforcement agents have said that cocaine sells for about $100 a
gram, which would make the street value of the cocaine seized Thursday
more than $100,000.

Many of the suspects were sleeping when they were arrested at about 6
a.m. Several were escorted to court wearing no shoes or shirts. They
were to be held without bond in Milwaukee pending future hearings.

Brown County Sheriff Tom Hinz said the bust sends a message of
deterrence to others thinking of dealing drugs in Green Bay.

"This area will not sit on its hands and let dealers operate," Hinz
said.

While the bust removed major drug traffickers from the area, Lewis
said that as long as there's a demand for cocaine, others will move
in.

The raids culminated a two-year investigation by local, state and
federal agents. It began with informants who tipped police to drug
activity. Police "worked up the ladder" of drug distribution to get
the ring leaders, Hinz said.

More than 100 law enforcement officers took part in the coordinated
Green Bay raids, said Robert Sloey, investigations director of the
state Division of Narcotics Enforcement.

Warrants were executed on University Avenue and St. George,
Vanderbraak, Chicago and Pecan streets on the city's east side and on
10th, South Oakland and South Maple avenues on the west side, said Lt.
Gary Van Straten, a supervisor with the county's Drug Task Force. On
some streets, warrants were executed at more than one address.

There were no shots fired and no one hurt. One woman arrested was
pregnant and was checked out by a Green Bay Fire Department rescue
squad before she was taken into custody.

Hinz said the warrants developed from a case started by the county's
Drug Task Force in July 1999. Narcotics agents built the case by
buying cocaine from a suspect. That case later included a suspect
under investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Hinz said the case is the largest drug bust ever undertaken in Brown
County.

Along with the Drug Task Force, agents from the Wisconsin Division of
Narcotics Enforcement, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, Internal
Revenue Service and Immigration and Naturalization Service helped in
the operation, along with inspectors from the U.S. Postal Service.

SWAT teams from the Brown County Sheriff's Department and the Green
Bay Police Department also participated.

Sidebar: People Arrested Thursday In Drug Bust

The 19 people arrested Thursday morning and charged in federal court
with conspiracy to deliver cocaine included the following Green Bay
residents:

Pedro Rodriguez-Perez, 35; Julio Garcia, 26; Jesse Villagomez-Garcia,
27; Anne Riesenberg, 36; Ricky David Pierquet, 46; Sergio Mancha, 20;
Victor Dorantes-Martinez, 27; Alfredo Lopez, also known as Luis Medina
and Crispin Barbosa-Rojas, 34; Saul Gutierrez, 27; Lorena Hermisillo,
also known as Lorena Gutierrez, 49; Luis Gutierrez, 26; Mario
Escimillo, also known as Felipe Perez-Lopez, 26; Raul Molina, 30; Juan
Robledo, 30; Filemon Luevano, 22; Juan Gabriel-Garcia, 24; and Jaime
Naverette-Sanchez, 25.

Also arrested were Guadalupe Perez, 46, Long Beach, Calif.; and Jorge
Santana, 33, Seal Beach, Calif.