Hundreds Arrested In Raids Targeting Mexican Drug Cartel (In USA)

Hundreds of people have been arrested in Texas and around the country what officials say is the largest single strike at a Mexican drug cartel in the U.S

WASHINGTON (October 22, 2009)—U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder calls the arrests of more than 300 people in a series of drug raids in Texas and across the country the largest single strike at a Mexican drug cartel operating here.

Holder said at a news conference Thursday that the arrests over the past two days were aimed at the U.S. operations of the La Familia cartel. Click here to find out more!

Holder said La Familia is the newest and most violent of Mexico's five drug cartels.

"We will not allow these cartels to operate unfettered in our country, and with the increases in cooperation between U.S. and Mexican authorities in recent years, we are taking the fight to our adversaries,” Holder said Thursday.

“We will continue to stand strong with our partners in Mexico as we work to disrupt and dismantle cartel operations on both sides of the border."

More than 3,000 federal agents and police officers made the arrests in more than a dozen states.

Arrests were made in Texas as well as in California, Colorado, Georgia, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Washington.

The raids are part of a long-running anti-drug operation that has led to nearly 1,200 arrests over almost four years.

A New York grand jury has indicted alleged cartel leader Servando Gomez-Martinez.

http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/pubs/pressrel/pr102209a2.pdf

Note: The following text is a quote:

http://www.fbi.gov/page2/oct09/coronado_102209.html

‘PROJECT CORONADO’
Major U.S. Takedown Against Mexican Drug Cartel

10/22/09

‘Project Coronado’ map shows locations of two-day operations in 19 states. See DEA Map (pdf)

On October 22, 2009, Attorney General Eric Holder—with the heads of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives—announced a massive multi-agency takedown targeting the U.S. distribution network of the exceedingly violent Mexican drug cartel known as La Familia.

Project Coronado seized more than 2,700 pounds of methamphetamine over 44 months. Above, a seizure of 126 kilos of crystal methamphetamine from earlier this year. More images at DEA.gov. Over the past two days, more than 300 individuals in the U.S. have been located and arrested by some 3,000 federal, state, and local law enforcement officials in Project Coronado, the largest U.S. enforcement action ever undertaken against a Mexican drug cartel. “While this group may operate from Mexico,” said Holder, “the toxic reach of its operations extends to nearly every state in the country.”

Since the initiative began 44 months ago, 1,186 people have been arrested and more than $32 million in U.S. currency has been seized, along with more than 2,700 pounds of methamphetamine, nearly 2,000 kilograms of cocaine, 16,000 pounds of marijuana, 29 pounds of heroin, and close to 400 weapons. Project Coronado, said Holder, “has dealt a significant blow to La Familia’s supply chain of illegal drugs, weapons, and cash flowing between the United States and Mexico.”

FBI Director Robert Mueller added: “This ongoing investigation is an example of intelligence-driven law enforcement. We often speak of intelligence in terms of terrorism, but intelligence is every bit as vital to disrupting criminal organizations like La Familia.”

La Familia, the newest and the most violent of the Mexican drug cartels, is responsible for most of the methamphetamine coming into the U.S. across the Southwest border, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Project Coronado was coordinated by the multi-agency Special Operations Division and attorneys from the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Narcotics and Dangerous Drug Section.

From left to right: Attorney General Eric Holder, Acting DEA Administrator Michele Leonhart, FBI Director Robert Mueller, and Acting ATF Director Kenneth Melson.

According to Mueller, multi-agency investigations like Project Coronado are key to disrupting the operations of complex criminal organizations like La Familia. He said, “We have dealt a substantial blow to a group that has polluted our neighborhoods with illicit drugs and has terrorized Mexico with unimaginable violence.”

Resources:
- Press release

October 22, 2009

Note: The following text is a quote:

http://www.fbi.gov/pressrel/pressrel09/cartel_102209.htm

More Than 300 Alleged La Familia Cartel Members and Associates Arrested in Two-Day Nationwide Takedown

“Project Coronado” Results in Nearly 1,200 Arrests During 44-Month Operation, Seizures of Approximately 11.7 Tons of Drugs and $32.8 Million in U.S. Currency

WASHINGTON—Today Attorney General Eric Holder announced the arrest of nearly 1,200 individuals on narcotics-related charges and the seizure of more than 11.7 tons of narcotics as part of a 44-month multi-agency law enforcement investigation known as “Project Coronado.” The Attorney General was joined in announcing the current results of Project Coronado by DEA Acting Administrator Michele M. Leonhart, FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III and ATF Acting Director Kenneth E. Melson.

Over the past two days, 303 individuals in 19 states were arrested as part of Project Coronado, which targeted the distribution network of a major Mexican drug trafficking organization known as La Familia, through coordination between federal, state and local law enforcement. More than 3,000 agents and officers operated across the United States to make the arrests during the two-day takedown. During the two-day operation alone, $3.4 million in U.S. currency, 729 pounds of methamphetamine, 62 kilograms of cocaine, 967 pounds of marijuana, 144 weapons and 109 vehicles were seized by law enforcement agents.

“This unprecedented, coordinated U.S. law enforcement action—the largest ever undertaken against a Mexican drug cartel—has dealt a significant blow to La Familia’s supply chain of illegal drugs, weapons and cash flowing between Mexico and the United States,” said Attorney General Holder. “We will not allow these cartels to operate unfettered in our country, and with the increases in cooperation between U.S. and Mexican authorities in recent years, we are taking the fight to our adversaries. We will continue to stand strong with our partners in Mexico as we work to disrupt and dismantle cartel operations on both sides of the border.”

The La Familia cartel is a violent drug trafficking cartel based in the state of Michoacán, in southwestern Mexico. According to court documents, La Familia controls drug manufacturing and distribution in and around Michoacán, including the importation of vast quantities of cocaine and methamphetamine from Mexico into the United States. La Familia is philosophically opposed to the sale of methamphetamine to Mexicans, and instead supports its export to the United States for consumption by Americans. La Familia is a heavily armed cartel that has utilized violence to support its narcotics trafficking business including murders, kidnappings and assaults. According to one indictment unsealed in the Southern District of New York, associates of La Familia based in the United States have allegedly acquired military-grade weapons, including assault weapons and ammunition, and have arranged for them to be smuggled back into Mexico for use by La Familia. In a criminal complaint filed in Dallas, ATF investigators allege that operatives of La Familia shipped hundreds of firearms from the U.S. to Mexico over a 12-month period ending in October 2009. Individuals indicted in the cases are charged with a variety of crimes, including: conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana; distribution of methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana; conspiracy to import narcotics into the United States; money laundering; and other violations of federal law. Numerous defendants face forfeiture allegations as well.

To date, Project Coronado has led to the arrest of 1,186 individuals and the seizure of approximately $32.8 million in U.S. currency, and approximately 2,710 pounds of methamphetamine, 1,999 kilograms of cocaine, 29 pounds of heroin, 16,390 pounds of marijuana, 389 weapons and 269 vehicles.

“Project Coronado, our massive assault on the La Familia Cartel, is part of our continued fight against all of the powerful Mexico-based drug cartels,” said DEA Acting Administrator Michele M. Leonhart. “This organization, the newest of Mexican cartels, is directly responsible for a vast majority of the methamphetamine pouring into our country across our Southwest Border, and has had a hand in fueling the cycle of violence that is wracking Mexico today. DEA, along with our U.S. and Mexican partners, are committed to strategically attacking the international and domestic drug trade with every tool at our disposal, and defeating those that thrive on the suffering of others.”

“Multi-agency coordinated investigations such as Project Coronado are the key to disrupting the operations of complex criminal organizations like La Familia. Together—with the strong collaboration of our international, federal, state and local partners—we have dealt a substantial blow to a group that has polluted our neighborhoods with illicit drugs and has terrorized Mexico with unimaginable violence,” said Director Mueller.

“ATF’s arrest of defendants in Project Coronado highlight the almost inseparable link between illegal trafficking of firearms and narcotics between the U.S. and Mexico,” said ATF Acting Director Kenneth Melson. “ATF is on the frontline against violent crime and focuses its investigative tools on criminal groups such as La Familia, which use firearms to further their illegal trade and ruin and endanger countless lives. It is alleged that La Familia used proceeds from the sale of drugs to purchase or obtain hundreds of firearms that were then moved illicitly to Mexico.”

“The operation to dismantle the La Familia drug trafficking organization in the United States demonstrates an unprecedented level of partnership and coordination at the local, state and federal levels. We at ICE are proud to have played an important role in yesterday’s operation and look forward to continuing to work with our law enforcement partners to target these criminal organizations,” said Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Assistant Secretary John Morton.

Arrests were made or charges have been unsealed yesterday and today related to Project Coronado in the following districts: Central District of California, Southern District of California, District of Colorado, Northern District of Georgia, District of Massachusetts, District of Minnesota, Southern District of Mississippi, Eastern District of Missouri, Northern District of Oklahoma, Southern District of New York, Northern District of New York, Middle District of North Carolina, District of South Carolina, Middle District of Tennessee, Eastern District of Texas, Northern District of Texas, Western District of Texas and the Western District of Washington. There were also arrests by state authorities in California, Nevada, North Carolina and Georgia. Assistance for Project Coronado was provided by the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section and Office of International Affairs. Additionally, local prosecutions will occur in San Diego, San Bernardino, Los Angeles and Orange County, Calif.; Clark County, Nev.; Gwinnett County, Ga.; and Pitt County, N.C.

The investigative efforts in Project Coronado were coordinated by the multi-agency Special Operations Division, comprised of agents and analysts from the DEA, FBI, ICE, Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Marshals Service and ATF, as well as attorneys from the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section. More than 300 federal, state, local and foreign law enforcement agencies contributed investigative and prosecutorial resources to Project Coronado through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces.

An indictment is merely an allegation and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

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