Source:Orange County RegisterNews,page,13Associated Press
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Headline:Drug raids find Mexican inroads in New York

CRIME:Officials seize 11 tons of cocaine,6 tons of marijuana and $18.5
million in cash.

By LAWRENCE L. KNUTSON

WASHINGTONUndercover operations aimed at Mexican drug runners resulted
in 89 arrests in nine U.S. cities,and the seizure of tons of cocaine and
marijuana and millions in cash.The probes disclosed major new inroads by
the Mexicans into the New York City market,officials said Monday.

The combined haul of two separate operations begun last fall:11.4 tons of
cocaine,6.4 tons of marijuana and $18.5 million in cash.At least 28 people
were arrested Monday alone.

"This was brand new to us ,"said Thomas A. Constantine,administrator."For
the first time,we saw the organized crime syndicates from Mexico actually
bringing their own cocaine into the New York City area and selling it."

Lawenforcement officials said the drug traffickers were associates of
Amando Carrillo Fuentes,who until his death last month was considered
Mexico's most powerful druglord.

A lawenforcement official said the arrest included several nonMexican
truck drivers from Battle Creek,Mich.,who allegedly hauled narcotics from
Juarez,Mexico,and El Paso,Texas,in 18wheeler trucks and brought back
millions of dollars in cash.

Winding up the operation,dubbed Reciprocity,a joint task force composed of
agents from the DEA,FBI and the U.S. Customs Service arrested 25 people
Monday in New York,Battle Creek,El Paso and Albuquerque,N.M.

During the course of the investigation,an additional 13 people were
arrested,including alleged drug runners in Tucson and Los Angeles.

The totals for Operation Reciprocity are 7.4 tons of cocaine,$11 million in
cash,@,700 pounds of marijuana and 41 arrests.

A second drug investigation,Operation Limelight,focused on a third cell of
drug racketeers also linked to Carrillo.The investigation opened last
September and concentrated on the Chicago area,the official said.He said it
resulted in the seizure of 4 tons of cocaine,10,000 pounds of marijuana and
$7.4 million in cash,plus 48 arrests.