U.S. GOES AFTER ARELLANOS WITH MURDER CHARGES

Just-Unsealed Indictment Says They Head Vicious Drug Cartel

For the first time in a long and sometimes frustrating investigation, U.S.
authorities have unveiled charges accusing the alleged leaders of the
Arellano Feix drug cartel of ordering a string of murders and kidnappings
in Mexico.

In an indictment unsealed yesterday, prosecutors also accuse brothers
Benjamin and Ramon Arellano Felix of at least one attempted murder in the
United States.

The reputed Tijuana-based drug ringleaders also allegedly recruited San
Diego gang members who mistakenly killed a Mexican Roman Catholic cardinal
during a 1993 attempt to assassinate a rival, according to the charges.

Federal prosecutors and agents said the 10-count indictment underscores
what authorities have long suspected: the Arellanos use force and
intimidation to control a vast drug-trafficking corridor or "plaza" through
Baja California.

In what prosecutors described as one of the most vivid shows of force,
Cardinal Juan Jesus Posadas Ocampo was killed in a hail of bullets as he
arrived at Guadalajara Airport.

The indictment accuses the Arellanos of recruiting Logan Heights gang
members to kill a rival drug trafficker. Prosecutors said the cardinal was
killed by mistake.

The two brothers have long eluded authorities on both sides of the border.
Ramon was named in an earlier drug indictment and is still at large despite
being placed on the FBI's 10 Most Wanted List almost three years ago.
Benjamin was charged as early as 1989 but is still in hiding.

U.S. officials said recent developments in Mexico signal that authorities
are closer than ever to arresting the Arellanos.

"This is the first time in many years that the leaders of the Arellano
Felix organization are on the run," said U.S. Attorney Gregory Vega.

U.S. authorities have offered up to $2 million for information leading to
the arrest and conviction of the brothers. Mexican authorities also are
offering a reward.

The unsealing of the indictments demonstrated what authorities said is
continuing cooperation between the U.S. and Mexican governments to break up
the drug ring.

U.S. prosecutors and agents were joined by Mariano Heran Salvati, Mexico's
drug czar, who praised the indictments as a signal that the U.S. government
is determined to aggressively pursue drug traffickers who operate in Mexico.

Vega said the Arellanos could flee to the United States because Mexican
authorities are placing increasing pressure on the cartel.

"We are unsealing the indictment at this time so that the public will be
able to recognize the leaders of the Arellano Felix organization in the
event that they attempt to enter the United States," he said.

The indictment also accuses brothers Benjamin, 45, and Ramon, 35, in the
1997 attempted murder in Chula Vista of a drug trafficking associate they
suspected of cooperating with authorities.

The brothers, who are believed to be living in Mexico, are accused of an
unspecified number of murders of Mexican law enforcement officers and rival
drug traffickers.

But prosecutors refused to divulge the names of the victims, citing
concerns for the safety of witnesses.

In addition, the indictment accuses the brothers of bribing unidentified
public officials, money laundering and smuggling cocaine and marijuana.

However, prosecutors did cite the case of Sergio Rubalcava Sandoval, a
former top official of Baja California's State Judicial Police. Although he
was not named in the indictment, Sandoval, a Bonita resident, pleaded
guilty in March to overseeing a drug transportation ring that authorities
said was connected to the Arellanos.

The indictment was handed down by a San Diego federal jury in November but
kept secret until yesterday.

"It was under seal because efforts were being made by authorities to
attempt to locate the brothers to determine whether they were in the United
States," Vega said.

If arrested and convicted in the United States, the brothers face up to
life in prison and fines of $27 million.

The indictment is the second in two weeks to be unsealed against leaders of
the Tijuana-based cartel. Last week, U.S. prosecutors unsealed their
indictment against Ismael Higuera Guerrero after his arrest by Mexican
authorities.

Federal officials said Benjamin is the unrivaled leader of the cartel.
Ramon is believed to be the enforcer.

The Arellano family, composed of seven brothers and four sisters, is
believed to have inherited the organization from Miguel Angel Felix
Gallardo following his incarceration in Mexico in 1989 for complicity in
the murder of Enrique "Kiki" Camarena, a special agent of the U.S. Drug
Enforcement Administration.

In 1989, Benjamin Arellano was indicted in San Diego on conspiracy and drug
charges, but that indictment was handed down before he rose to prominence
in the cartel, prosecutors said.

The latest indictment also bolsters any charges the brothers would face in
Mexico. If for some reason, Mexico could not prosecute the brothers once
they are arrested, the United States would be prepared to seek extradition.

If the two are caught in Mexico, they would first be prosecuted by Mexican
authorities because of the provisions of a 1980 U.S.-Mexico extradition treaty.

But U.S. authorities are awaiting a Mexican court ruling on the extradition
of Arturo Paez Martinez, who was arrested at the request of U.S.
authorities in 1997. Paez is accused by U.S. authorities of working under
Higuera in the Arellano cartel.