LEADER OF KNOXVILLE COCAINE TRAFFICKING NETWORK PLEADS GUILTY

The ringleader of one of Knoxville, Tenn.'s largest-ever drug trafficking
networks pleaded guilty Wednesday in federal court and agreed to give up
the trappings of his ill-gotten wealth.

Alexis Munoz, 33, admitted at a hearing in U.S. District Court he headed up
a cocaine trafficking conspiracy that funneled more than 150 kilograms into
Knoxville.

The actual amount of cocaine distributed through the Miami-to-Knoxville
conspiracy could be much higher, according to authorities.

Munoz, a high-flying Miami man, has agreed to forfeit $9.75 million in real
estate, including property on Marco Island, vehicles, jewelry and cash --
all of it purchased from the proceeds of the cocaine trade, Assistant U.S.
Attorney David Jennings said.

Munoz was arrested in January as federal and Knoxville authorities closed
in on his drug-trafficking network, which had been under investigation for
two years.

Federal indictments alleged Munoz and his brother-in-law, Javier Martinez,
31, both of whom lived in Florida, joined Knoxville brothers Ronnie
"Goodie" Rodgers, Anthony Rodgers, Michael Rodgers and Kenneth Rodgers to
distribute cocaine from Miami to East Knoxville.

Seven other Knoxville residents who allegedly hawked cocaine for the
Rodgers brothers also are accused in the conspiracy. Martinez pleaded
guilty in March, although the terms of his agreement with the government
are under seal. Cases against the Rodgers brothers and their alleged
associates are still pending.

Munoz stood before Senior U.S. District Court Judge Leon Jordan wearing a
black-and-white striped jail uniform and tattered jail-issued tennis shoes.
His days are spent in the Blount County Jail. He faces a lifetime behind
the bars of a federal prison when he is sentenced Jan. 7, 2004.

It is a far cry from the lifestyle he lived as a cocaine trafficker,
according to seizure papers and court testimony.

Born in Cuba, Munoz eventually became a naturalized U.S. citizen. With a
seventh-grade education, he turned to the cocaine trade to earn a living.
It is a family business, according to Jennings, who said Munoz's father and
brother both are convicted cocaine traffickers.

In five years, the cocaine business bought Munoz two Miami condominiums,
two houses and property in Marco Island, and a condominium in Cancun,
Mexico, records show. He had a stable of vehicles to choose from, including
a 2003 Hummer H2 sport utility vehicle, a 2002 Porsche 911 coupe and a 2003
BMW X5. He owned at least one yacht and a Yamaha personal watercraft.

Munoz wore designer duds and pricey accessories, including Rolex and
Cartier watches. He invested in diamonds, too, including a 1.5-karat
pear-shaped diamond and a 1.8-karat round-shaped diamond, both of which now
belong to the federal government.

Authorities have discovered at least seven different stashes of cash,
totaling more than $800,000, records show.

Although authorities have made public the scope of Munoz's wealth, they
remain mum about his cocaine operation.

Jennings outlined basic details at Wednesday's hearing. Jordan sealed more
detailed records. What is known is that Munoz got his cocaine from both
foreign and U.S. suppliers.

"He's got several sources of supply," Jennings said.

Munoz bought in bulk, evidenced by the 32 kilograms authorities found
stashed in one of his Miami condominiums when he was arrested.

Martinez served as his brother-in-law's courier, using luxury vehicles
equipped with secret compartments to deliver bricks of the illegal powder
to a "go-between" in West Knoxville, Jennings said.

"The shipments usually involved between four and 10 kilograms at a time,"
Jennings said.

That go-between is not named in any federal court documents made public in
the case, and Jennings declined to reveal the West Knoxville liaison's
identity Wednesday.

The mysterious West Knoxville liaison then supplied cocaine to the Rodgers
brothers, indictments allege. The Rodgerses, in turn, supplied kilograms of
cocaine to mid-level dealers, court records allege.

The mid-level dealers put cocaine into the hands of dozens of East
Knoxville street dealers, who used a paging system to place their orders,
records reveal.

The Rodgers brothers are set to stand trial in December. It is not clear
how many of their alleged co-conspirators have entered plea agreements.