21 ARRESTED IN DRUG SWEEP

Feb. 25 - LONGMONT - Thursday morning, 78 Longmont police officers and
federal agents fanned out across the city, knocked on doors, pulled
over cars, and searched homes and one business.

When it was over, they had arrested 21 people on drug possession and
trafficking charges and had collected drugs, guns and cash,
culminating what the city's police chief called "the largest, most
comprehensive narcotics trafficking investigation Longmont has ever
had."

In all, agents and officers seized 20 pounds of methamphetamine, with
an estimated street value of $1 million; 25 guns; 5 kilos of cocaine,
which police estimated to be worth half a million dollars; several
vehicles and $38,000 in cash.

Investigators say they believe those arrested are part of an
organized, multi-state drug operation that imported drugs manufactured
in California to distribute in the Longmont area.

Longmont police Chief Michael Butler, joined by federal Drug
Enforcement Agency officers and two representatives of the U.S.
Attorney's Office in Denver, held a news conference Thursday afternoon
to announce the arrests.

Investigators say they believe Guillermo Quintana-Rosa, 26, of Mexico,
one of those arrested, was one of the ringleaders, according to U.S.
Attorney Tom Strickland's office.

Jim Craig, assistant special agent in charge of the DEA's Denver
office, said the investigation recently shut down methamphetamine labs
in California, including what he called "super labs," capable of
producing 150 pounds of the drug at a time.

Agents said methamphetamine is this area's biggest problem
drug.

Butler said Thursday's arrests, the result of a nine-month
investigation, will "put a significant dent into drug trafficking
going on in this county."

The investigation began through tips and confidential informants. When
Longmont police realized the extent of the trafficking, officers
requested help from the DEA.

The investigation eventually stretched from Longmont to California and
Nebraska and included the Internal Revenue Service, the Immigration
and Naturalization Service, the U.S. Attorney's office, the federal
housing agency and the bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.

The 21 people arrested Thursday join another 17 who have been arrested
over the last six weeks. In all, 38 people face either federal or
state charges for drug trafficking and possession. Five were arrested
in California.

Those arrested are men and women who range in age from 19 to 69; many
are from Longmont; some are from California, some are from Mexico, and
several are related.

And the role of those arrested within that organization range from
interstate traffickers to street dealers, Butler said. He said several
of the people arrested have prior records.

Butler said officers expect to make another 15 arrests.

The chief praised the cooperation between the various law-enforcement
agencies, which he called "unprecedented."

DEA officers involved in the investigation include members of a Mobile
Enforcement Team, created in 1995 to help local police agencies,
especially in smaller communities, penetrate gangs and drug-dealing
organizations.

Nine DEA agents were involved in the operation almost full time since
last July, along with five Longmont detectives.