FEDS: COLOMBIAN BROTHERS RAN LARGE DRUG OPERATION FROM PRISON

MIAMI -- Two brothers who helped found the Cali cartel resumed running
their billion-dollar drug operation from inside their Colombian prison
cells, federal authorities said Monday in announcing their
indictments.

The 12-year investigation into the drug trafficking and money-
laundering operations of Miguel Rodriguez-Orejuela and Gilberto
Rodriguez-Orejuela was one of the largest in U.S. history, U.S.
Attorney Marcos Jimenez said. The brothers and nine associates were
named in federal indictments that were unsealed Monday.

"The Cali cartel led by the Rodriguez-Orejuela brothers have been
poisoning the streets of America for too many years," Jimenez said.

The brothers have been incarcerated for their leadership of the Cali
cartel since the summer of 1995, after a massive probe by U.S. and
Colombian officials. Federal authorities said investigators, who had
continued looking into the operation, received information two years
ago that the brothers had resumed running the cartel from prison.

The indictment alleges that from 1990 until July 2002 the defendants
conspired to import cocaine into the United States and conspired to
possess with intent to distribute cocaine, importing the drugs hidden
in concrete posts, frozen vegetables, lumber, ceramic tiles, coffee
and chlorine cylinders.

As part of the indictments, authorities said they would seek the
forfeiture of $2.1 billion generated in the operation and the
extradition of all 11 suspects. Jimenez said the multibillion dollar
figure was "a very safe estimate of the amount of money these
individuals earned over the last 14 years."

"In it's heyday, the Cali cartel was believed to be responsible for
about 80 percent of the cocaine shipped to the United States. It was
also responsible for countless murders and a reign of terror in
Colombia," said Jesus Toreros, interim special agent in charge with
the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Miami.

Jimenez said the cartel was marked by the killing of witnesses and
paying off of individuals "to make sure they were never brought to
justice."

In addition to the Rodriguez-Orejuela brothers, Colombian authorities
have arrested one of their associates, Luis Edward Cuartas-Pardo, who
allegedly served as the cartel's accountant, and an additional
indicted man, whose identity officials are still trying to verify.

While incarcerated in Colombia, authorities said the two brothers were
running the cartel through Miguel Rodriguez-Orejuela's elder son,
William Rodriguez-Abadia, who controlled day-to-day operations.

Besides the four men, authorities said seven others were indicted on
conspiracy to import cocaine and conspiracy to possess with intent to
distribute cocaine. They include: Guillermo Restrepo Lara, who
allegedly served as the cartel's chief enforcer; Heriberto Patino-Rios
and Luis Ocampo-Fominque, who both allegedly worked as the cartel's
drug transportation supervisors; and German Navarro, a Colombian
lawyer who allegedly coordinated briberies.

Also indicted were Daniel Serrano, an alleged money supervisor for the
brothers; Harold Velez-Restrepo, who allegedly helped buy residencies,
offices and facilities for the cartel; and Luis Evelio Lopez, who
allegedly oversaw 'stash houses' for cartel members.

Seven of the men, including the two brothers, were charged with
conspiracy to launder money. Six of the men, also including the two
brothers, were charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice.
Authorities did not immediately have ages or locations of the men. It
was not immediately known if they had retained attorneys.

The brothers were originally charged in a wide-ranging 1995 indictment
that named 59 people, including six lawyers, in a top-to-bottom attack
on the Cali cartel. Four lawyers, including three that had worked for
the Justice Department, pleaded guilty to lesser charges and agreed to
cooperate.

The indictments, which were originally handed down Sept. 28 and
unsealed Monday, were the latest development in a drug investigation
called "Operation Cornerstone," which has led to the seizure of nearly
55 tons of cocaine and $15 million in U.S. currency, officials said.

Attorney General John Ashcroft, in a statement, said prosecutors would
continue to work to dismantle the cartel.

"However long it takes, wherever it takes us, we have a duty to
dismantle these drug organizations piece by piece and member by
member," Ashcroft said.