INVESTIGATION LEADS TO RECORD 'SPECIAL K' DRUG SEIZURE

Police discovered more than 11,000 vials of a designer drug, likely intended
for rave parties, in the largest ketamine seizure in the United States,
officials said Friday.

The seizure was part of a six-month investigation by various agencies,
including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, into a ring that
distributed ketamine, often called Special K, according to Cesar Arias of
the Florida Department of Health.

"It's being distributed to wholesalers who are diverting the product away
from the legal channels," said Arias. "`We're hoping to make further arrests
and shut down a couple of wholesalers that are involved in this operation."

The drugs were discovered when officers stopped Geraldo Baptista for a
traffic violation early Friday. Baptista fit the description of a suspect.

When he was pulled over, officers noticed the back of the truck had several
suspicious boxes. They opened the boxes to find 2,162 vials of ketamine. The
suspect then told officers that he had a warehouse filled with vials of the
drug and led authorities there.

Baptista, 37, was arrested early Friday and charged with drug possession and
distribution, a federal felony that carries a penalty of up to 20 years in
prison.

The drug, a clear liquid manufactured in the United States and used
primarily by veterinarians as an animal anesthetic, "has gained a dubious
notoriety as what is popularly called a rave party drug" said Miami-Dade
Mayor Alex Penelas.