DEA BUSTS DRUG-SMUGGLING RING LINKED TO FEDEX WORKERS

The Drug Enforcement Administration has broken up a drug-smuggling ring
that allegedly used bribed FedEx drivers to transport marijuana around the
country for a Mexican cartel, officials said yesterday.

Authorities have seized 121 tons of marijuana and said they expect to make
more than 100 arrests.

The DEA investigation, dubbed Operation Green Air, has been underway for 20
months, with the cooperation of FedEx. It began after a company employee
noticed a suspicious package that turned out to contain marijuana. Instead
of quickly arresting those involved, the company and the DEA worked
together to snare a larger group of employees and traffickers, authorities
said.

The seized marijuana had a wholesale value of $140 million, the DEA said,
and was smuggled to Boston, New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, Connecticut
and Florida after it was brought into the United States from Mexico.
Handguns and assault weapons also were seized.

Joe Keefe, who heads the special operations division of the DEA, said the
drugs flowed from the Arellano Felix cartel, based in Tijuana, which
shipped the drugs to warehouses outside Los Angeles.

The marijuana was then allegedly transferred by Jamaican drug traffickers,
who boxed it for shipment via FedEx to the East Coast, where it was
allegedly handled by FedEx drivers and sold to individuals by Jamaican drug
dealers, he said.

The scheme involved 22 FedEx employees who have been or will be arrested,
Keefe said. In all, the DEA expects to make 101 arrests in the case, with
45 of those coming yesterday.

"This is one of the largest marijuana-trafficking organizations we have
worked on in some time," Keefe said. "This is a very significant operation.
They were sophisticated and the cooperation we got working with [the
company] helped us immensely."

Attorney General Janet Reno lauded the successful probe. "Today we have
taken another major step in our fight against drug trafficking," she said.
"Law enforcement's overnight delivery to the American people is safer
streets for our children."

The FedEx workers included mainly drivers as well as customer service
workers and at least one security specialist, DEA officials said.

FedEx officials said their security system helped detect the drug
trafficking and emphasized that they fully cooperated with federal law
enforcement officials.

"This is an example of how our security system worked," said Bob Bryden,
vice president of security for FedEx. "Normally, we terminate employees
immediately. In this instance, DEA realized it had more importance than
just one seizure and asked us not take action against our employees and
asked us to help uncover the complete scope."

FedEx said its detailed package tracking system was crucial in assisting
federal agents.