MEXICAN DRUG RING BROKEN

U.S. Authorities Say 98 Arrests Dismantle Carrillo Operation

WASHINGTON-Federal and local drug-enforcement officers have arrested
93 suspects in a sweeping crackdown that one official said Wednesday
had dismantled the operations of the notorious late drug trafficker
Amado Carillo Fuentes "from top to bottom."

The arrests over the past 18 months resulted from an investigation
into one of the largest drug cartels in Mexico. The cartel is believed
to have funneled tons of Colombian cocaine through Mexico into major
U.S. cities, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit, Miami,
Atlanta, Philadelphia and Houston, and from there throughout the country.

The investigation, dubbed "Operation Impunity," targeted alleged "cell
heads" running the drug operation after the death of Carillo, who was
known as the "Lord of the Skies" because of his use of large aircraft
to transport drugs. Carillo was considered Mexico's No. 1 druglord
until he died in July 1997 while recovering from plastic surgery
designed to help him evade arrest.

"We have substantially hindered their ability to move cocaine and
other drugs into, and around, this country," said Attorney General
Janet Reno.

"It means we have taken another step forward in making our streets
safer," she said.

While authorities were careful to point out that drug players and
operations are usually replaced, Donnie Marshall, acting administrator
of the Drug Enforcement Administration, said: "We effectively
dismantled this operation from top to bottom ... right down to their
local distribution networks."

"This operation was undertaken to prove that traffickers in Mexico and
the United States no longer operate with impunity," Marshall said.

The investigation was conducted by the DEA along with the FBI and the
U.S. Customs Service and scores of local police departments around the
country.

It also had the cooperation of the Mexican government, a stark
contrast to last year, when Mexican officials were incensed at a U.S.
sting operation that snared some 160 people suspected of laundering
drug profits, including two dozen Mexican bank executives who had been
lured to the United States and arrested.

This time, Mexican Attorney General Jorge Madrazo Cuellar told
reporters, "We were completely involved in this operation in the
United States."

Indeed, shortly after the U.S. announcement, authorities said they had
been informed that the Mexican government Wednesday had arrested one
suspect indicted in this country - Jaime Aguilar-Gastelum. He was
arrested in Reynosa, Mexico, the DEA said.

Authorities said they had to overcome sophisticated criminals who hid
drugs in crates of cilantro or watermelons and used sophisticated
telephone systems to disguise calls.

Most of the arrests were in the United States, but two suspects are in
custody in the Dominican Republic. The key lieutenant of the
organization, Gilberto Salina-Doria - a former Donna, Texas, police
officer - was already in Mexican custody on unrelated charges,
authorities said.

The three main "cell heads," believed responsible for directing the
Carillo cartel's operations in U.S.cities, were arrested in this country.

Arturo Arredondo allegedly had overall reponsibility for U.S.
transportation and distribution of the organization's drugs and is the
highest-ranking trafficker of the U.S. operations. Also arrested were
Jesse Quintanilla, who was believed responsible for the Chicago
operations, and Jorge Ontiveros-Rodrigues, who allegedly oversaw San
Diego cocaine distribution.

Authorities said arrest were made in 15 U.S. cities.

In addition to cash and other assets, agents seized about 5,500 pounds
of cocaine and 4,800 pounds of marijuana. Authorities could not put a
dollar value on the drugs seized.