Arrests net ICE's largest cocaine seizure of year, officials say

The Associated Press ^ | July 20, 2007 | The Associated Press

[Dubya]

McALLEN, Texas — Separate arrests within 24 hours in a South Texas county led to the seizure of more than 2,200 pounds of cocaine with a street value of at least $100 million, officials said Friday.

Combined, the cocaine busts Wednesday and Thursday by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Hidalgo County District Attorney's High Intensity Drug Task Force were the largest this year for ICE, said Julie L. Myers, an assistant secretary for Homeland Security.

It wasn't clear whether the arrests were connected, said ICE spokeswoman Nina Pruneda.

Martin Garcia, 46, of Edinburg was arrested Thursday after authorities acting on a tip found 1,317 pounds of cocaine packed inside a trailer in front of a home near Edinburg.

On Wednesday, 888 pounds of cocaine were seized from inside a tractor trailer that had been under surveillance. ICE and drug task force agents coordinated a traffic stop with the Texas Department of Public Safety after the truck left Monte Cristo near Edinburg, about 260 miles south of San Antonio.

The driver, 56-year-old Robert Davila of nearby San Carlos, was arrested.

Garcia, who appeared in court Friday, and Davila face charges of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and conspiracy with intent to distribute cocaine.

[Tennessee Nana]

Ping

Illegal aliens caught with $100,000,000 worth of cocaine...

“The driver, 56-year-old Robert Davila of nearby San Carlos, was arrested. Garcia, who appeared in court Friday, and Davila face charges of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and conspiracy with intent to distribute cocaine”

Is Robert Davila related to Osbaldo Aldrete-Davila?

The drug smuggler in the Ramos and Compeon case...

[pissant]

She don’t lie, she don’t lie, she don’t lie-ie......Propane.

Hank Hill

[NRA2BFree]

I bet those guys don’t have long to live. The drug cartel is not going to be happy about this. That’s some serious money they’ve lost, and someone’s going to have to pay.

[1COUNTER-MORTER-68]

JMHO : War On Drugs???Get Caught??? Drug Outta The Truck?? Won't Make A Second Trip Haulin' Pizen Into My Country...

[stephenjohnbanker]

They have billions.....bad debt write off.

[Ken H]

Separate arrests within 24 hours in a South Texas county led to the seizure of more than 2,200 pounds of cocaine...

That's a tonne of dope!

[xc1427]

...and propane accessories.

[dennisw]

George Bush believes in open borders for drug dealing Mexican scum

[TomGuy]

Illegal aliens caught with $100,000,000 worth of cocaine...

And anyone who thinks that kind of 'commerce' doesn't buy allot of influence with politicos and officials on both sides of the border is, to quote Rosie, "DalUUUUUUsional."

[YellowRoseofTx]

Is Robert Davila related to Osbaldo Aldrete-Davila?

The drug smuggler in the Ramos and Compeon case...

That name struck me too.....related to or an alias (same person)

[Jimmy Valentine's brother]

Are you suggesting a Davila family drug organization? How close is Edinbugh to were Ramos and Compeon acted to protect us?

[TomGuy]

How close is Edinbugh to were Ramos and Compeon acted to protect us?

I am not sure that even matters. Osbaldo Aldrete-Davila was shot in the Texas border area, but his mother, who started the whole investigation, told a friend of a friend who told a border agent in Arizona who contacted an HSD agent in El Paso. [The story of how this developed is more convoluted than a week-day soap opera.]

Osbaldo Aldrete-Davila was childhood friends with an agent on the American side named Sanchez. Sanchez (IIRC) is a border agent and his brother is an HSD agent. The brother who is the HSD agent was contacted by the AZ border agent.

[During the last round when this story was hot on FR, I tried to create a timeline based on actual transcript reports and news articles. It was a convoluted mess trying to keep all the names and positions straight. At that time, only a small part of the court transcripts had been released. I think part of the court transcripts are still under 'seal' and have not been made public.]

[Tennessee Nana]

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

I think I had figured out the bullet would have had to be in Davila for about FOUR weeks...

He ran across the Rio Grande real good for a guy with a bullet in (his back), and then jumped/scambled up into the truck that was waiting for him...all unaided...(from a later description of his injuries, he was in no shape to do so..)

The bullet could have come form one of FOUR different types of guns..among them the type thst was allegedly used to shoot him...the bullet was never actually connected to the BP gun...

Why werent finger-prints taken from the truck full of 700+ pounds of drugs? And from the cell-phone?

Why were the cell-phone messages not “traced?” That’s one part of the reason Scott Peterson was proven to be the murderer of Laci..

Why is the “October drug load” still “under investigation” TWO years later? Why has Davila not been charged?

Why were vital parts of the drug smuggler’s activities sealed and kept from the jury?

Why was Sanchez never investigated for using government equipment fraudently in order to set up Ramos and Compean....

Why was the connection bertween Sanchez and Davila never questioned...and considered compromising...

[TomGuy]

Why werent finger-prints taken from the truck full of 700+ pounds of drugs?

Another piece of the puzzle that got buried: that truck full of drugs was registered in Texas. That means it belonged to a Texas resident. No mention was every made as to who owned that vehicle.

A full investigation of this matter would make the Washington DC madam's phonebook look like small potatoes. Those drug thugs pay off personnel on both sides of the border, personnel in high places.

[NRA2BFree]

They have billions.....bad debt write off.

That's a serious chunk of change. I'm afraid I'd have to kill them if that was my money they lost. LOL

[stephenjohnbanker]

“George Bush believes in open borders for drug dealing Mexican scum”

Yep, they get amnesty and/or immunity!

[stephenjohnbanker]

Gives us an idea how much is REALLY coming across the borders.........................

[NRA2BFree]

Gives us an idea how much is REALLY coming across the borders.........................

IF we knew how much it really was, we'd all be shocked. The scary part is that Americans are so strung out on drugs that the demand is that high!

[oldbrowser]

Illegal aliens caught with $100,000,000 worth of cocaine.

I don't see anywhere in the story where they mention that the smugglers were illegal aliens.

Why did you insert that?