DEA CLAIMS TO SNAG MEXICAN METH CARTEL

Two men plead guilty to federal drug charges

While methamphetamine labs boom throughtout the state, a large Mexican
meth ring has been snagged here, the federal Drug Enforcement
Administration said Friday.

Oklahoma is third in the nation in the number of labs producing the
illegal drug. There were 781 meth labs busted in 1999 compared to 269
in 1998.

The individual users and small-time peddlers in the state do produce
some pure and popular “crank,” said Kevin Stanfill, DEA supervisory
special agent. The local labs, however, have had some stiff
competition from Mexican drug lords who mass produce the stimulant and
often flood the local market with it, he said.

Two Oklahoma City men arrested in May have now pleaded guilty to
federal drug charges, and authorities think they are both linked to a
Juarez, Mexico, meth cartel. Carlos Medina Rosales, 28, and Jorge
Eduardo Monarez, 33, both of south Oklahoma City, are in federal
custody and awaiting sentencing. They pleaded guilty to distributing
Mexican meth in Oklahoma City.

“Basically, this investigation is over,” Stanfill said.

The DEA has seized 50 pounds of meth, 10 ounces of heroin, and made 62
arrests in a two-year sting called Operation Heartland. Of those
arrested, 41 people were in Oklahoma City. Most trafficking arrests
led to more tips in the ring that stretched form Mexico through
Oklahoma City and north to Des Moines, Iowa.

Stanfill said the meth dealers, based in Juarez, have distributed more
than 500 pounds of meth in two years, along with about 50 kilograms --
or about 110 pounds -- of cocaine.

The drug trail was first tracked in November 1997 after Oklahoma City
police made some arrests of meth traffickers. Further investigation
uncovered a drug ring based in Juarez, Mexico, Stanfill said. Norman
police also helped out, Stanfill said.

“We don’t want it to sound like we (DEA) did this without the help of
police, in Oklahoma City and Norman, but we were given time to go
after them,” Stanfill said.

The Juarez cartel has financed huge meth labs in Fresno, Calif., that
can make up to 80 pounds of meth in one cooking. Local meth labs are
usually capable of producing 5 to 6 grams at a time.

The Mexican cartel has been involved in smuggling through a network of
distribution lines for years.

Although the alleged Oklahoma City ringleaders are in custody,
Stanfill doesn’t expect Mexican meth to vanish.

“Unfortunately, there is such a high demand for meth and there is such
a high potential for profit. There is always someone willing to take
the risk and take their places,” Stanfill said.

He said the Mexican meth trafficking cartel has not been directly
linked to a marijuana smuggling group the Oklahoma State Bureau of
Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs has been tracking.

The Juarez pot cartel, with links to Oklahoma City, is said to have
smuggled tons of marijuana into the state over the past two years.
There is still a possibility that the marijuana and the meth smugglers
in Juarez could be working for some of the same people without knowing
each other.

“We’ve tried to get everyone in the organization we could.” Most of
those arrested remain in jail still, he said.

“I wish we could solve the drug problem with this investigation, but
we know there will be more,” Stanfill said.