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Locked on 10/06/2008 8:07:44 PM PDT by Religion Moderator, reason:
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Posted on 09/03/2008 6:13:02 PM PDT by nwctwx
Wowser...Double posting...oh well, good headline.
September 17, 2008
Note: The following text is a quote:
http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2008/September/08-ag-824.html
175 Alleged Gulf Cartel Members and Associates Arrested in Massive International Law Enforcement Operation
“Project Reckoning” Leads to the Seizure of $60 Million and More Than 40 Tons of Illegal Drugs From One of Mexico’s Largest Drug Trafficking Cartels
WASHINGTON –Today Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey announced that 175 individuals were arrested today and on Sept. 16, 2008, on charges related to an international drug trafficking cartel in a coordinated enforcement action by hundreds of international, federal, state and local law enforcement officials throughout the United States and Italy. Including the operations announced today, a long-term investigation of one of Mexico’s largest drug trafficking cartels and its U.S. and international distribution networks has resulted in the arrest of more than 500 individuals in the United States, Mexico and Italy to date.
“Project Reckoning,” a multi-agency law enforcement effort led by the DEA, targeted the Mexican drug trafficking cartel known as the Gulf Cartel. Among those indicted are the three alleged leaders of the Gulf Cartel: Ezequiel Cardenas-Guillen, Heriberto Lazcano-Lazcano and Jorge Eduardo Costilla-Sanchez. These individuals, each designated as Consolidated Priority Organization Targets (CPOTs) by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), have been indicted in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia on charges that they conspired to import drugs into the United States from Mexico. A CPOT designation is reserved for significant narcotics traffickers who are believed to be the leaders of drug trafficking organizations responsible for the importation of large quantities of narcotics into the United States.
The Gulf Cartel is responsible for the transportation of multi-ton quantities of cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin and marijuana from Colombia, Guatemala, Panama and Mexico to the United States, as well as the distribution of those narcotics within the United States. The Gulf Cartel is also believed to be responsible for laundering multiple millions of dollars in criminal proceeds. Individuals indicted in the cases are charged with a variety of crimes, including: drug trafficking charges related to cocaine and marijuana; solicitation and conspiracy to kidnap; attempted murder; conspiracy to use a firearm in a violent crime; conspiracy to kill and kidnap in a foreign country; interstate and foreign travel in aid of racketeering; money laundering; and other related crimes.
To date, Project Reckoning has resulted in the arrest of 507 individuals and the seizure of approximately $60.1 million in U.S. currency, 16,711 kilograms of cocaine, 1,039 pounds of methamphetamine, 19 pounds of heroin, 51,258 pounds of marijuana, 176 vehicles and 167 weapons. Project Reckoning, a 15-month investigation, combined into one centrally coordinated effort several multi-district enforcement operations that all involved individuals with close ties to the Gulf Cartel. Operation Dos Equis, Operation Vertigo, Operation Stinger and Operation The Family as well as numerous local operations combined to form Project Reckoning.
“By spreading dangerous drugs and resorting to brutal violence, international drug cartels pose an extraordinary threat both here and abroad,” said Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey. “The scope of the threat demands a deliberate and sustained response and the success we have had, such as the takedowns announced today, is due to the combined efforts of federal, state, local and international law enforcement. Although I am pleased with the efforts so far, we cannot and will not rest on these successes. The threat posed by international drug cartels is too great. It will take all of us working together to prevail.”
“We successfully completed a hard-hitting, coordinated and massive assault on the powerful and extremely violent Gulf Cartel,” said DEA Acting Administrator Michele M. Leonhart. “We have arrested U.S. cell heads, stripped the cartel of $60 million in cash, imprisoned their brutal assassins and significantly disrupted their U.S. infrastructure. DEA will continue our relentless attack against this cartel, aiming to dismantle them and stop the violence they inflict on Southwest Border communities.”
“Metro Atlanta unfortunately continues to be a major drug distribution center for the Southeast and beyond. The DEA and our many other law enforcement partners continue to aggressively investigate all aspects of the drug trade,” said U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia David E. Nahmias. “This major case is another example of their effective, coordinated efforts. The two cartel cells indicted in Atlanta acted like many shipping businesses, coordinating the transportation of truckloads of hidden drugs and millions of dollars in currency across the country and to and from Mexico. Through our sophisticated investigation and prosecutions, we have disrupted these organizations, seized large amounts of their poisons and proceeds, and now will work hard to lock up their members for many years to come.”
“This operation exemplifies the European vision of the international fight against drug trafficking,” said Dr. Nicola Gratteri, Italian Public Prosecutor for the Anti-mafia District Attorney’s Office of Reggio Calabria, Italy.
These cases are being handled by attorneys in the Northern District of Georgia; Southern District of Texas; Northern District of Texas; Western District of Texas; District of New Jersey; Eastern District of Louisiana; District of New Mexico; Southern District of Florida; Eastern District of North Carolina; Southern District of New York; and the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section and Office of International Affairs. In addition, local prosecutions in this case will occur in the states of California, Georgia, Illinois, North Carolina and Missouri.
The investigative efforts in Project Reckoning were coordinated by the Justice Department’s Special Operations Division, the DEA, FBI, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Marshals Service and attorneys from the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section. More than 200 federal, state, local and foreign law enforcement agencies contributed investigative and prosecutorial resources to Project Reckoning through the OCDETF. Significant assistance was also provided by a coalition of international investigative agencies spearheaded by DEA offices located in Colombia, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama and Italy with assistance from foreign counterparts in each of those countries.
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.
###
08-824
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=51206
“Home Repair Scam Appears to Target Military Families”
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Sept. 17, 2008
READY.GOV
http://www.ready.gov
http://www.ready.gov/kids/index.html
#
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=51216
“Muppets Make Sure Kids, Parents Prepare for Emergencies”
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Sept. 17, 2008
#
http://www.sesameworkshop.org/initiatives/emotion/ready
“Sesame Workshop Develops Family Friendly Resources on Emergency Preparedness
Fun and easy ways to help the whole family prepare for any type of emergency.”
Note: The following text is a quote:
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=51210
Coalition Targets Foreign Terrorist Flow, Finds Caches, Disarms IED
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Sept. 17, 2008 – Coalition forces in Iraq disrupted the foreign-terrorist facilitation network, found enemy weapons stockpiles and disarmed an improvised explosive device in operations over the last two days, military officials reported.
Soldiers detained four suspected terrorists during operations today to disrupt the al-Qaeda in Iraq foreign terrorist facilitation network in northern Iraq.
In Mosul, coalition forces captured two wanted men and one additional detainee reportedly tied to the part of the al-Qaida in Iraq network that smuggles materiel and foreigners into the country for terrorist attacks. One of the men is believed to conspire with senior al-Qaida in Iraq leaders in Mosul, officials said.
Another operation targeting al-Qaida in Iraq’s foreign terrorist facilitation network in Beiji, about 100 miles south of Mosul, netted one suspect.
A “Sons of Iraq” citizen security group member and Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers combined their efforts to uncover weapons caches yesterday.
A tip from a sheik who serves as a Sons of Iraq member led soldiers with the 25th Infantry Division’s Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 2nd Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, to the seizure of seven 57 mm rockets northwest of Baghdad.
Later yesterday, soldiers with the 25th Infantry Division’s Company B, 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, found a munitions cache north of Baghdad. The munitions included a 152 mm high-explosive projectile, five sticks of TNT, 15 pounds of TNT charges, a rocket-propelled grenade launcher and a rifle.
In southern Baghdad’s Rashid district early yesterday, Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers disarmed an improvised explosive device. Soldiers of the 4th Infantry Division’s Troop B, 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, notified an explosives ordnance disposal unit of the IED – made from a 155 mm artillery round with a timer and battery pack — in a street in the district’s Hadar community.
(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)
bttt
Thank you Unrepentant VN Vet.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2084728/posts
“Robbed twice, San Pablo shop owner was ready to shoot (Perp Killed)”
SFGATE ^ | September 17, 2008 | Henry K. Lee
Posted on September 17, 2008 5:01:02 PM PDT by csvset
SAN PABLO —
ARTICLE SNIPPET: “”He was pretty upset when we interviewed him,” said police Sgt. Dave Lewellyn. “He obviously didn’t want to have to shoot anybody. But he has been the victim of violent crime, and at some point he’s going to have to take these kinds of measures to protect himself. He told us he was in fear for his life.””
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/oil
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/russia
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/venezuela
#
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2084788/posts
“Russian oil companies want consortium in Latin America”
novosti ^ | 9/17/08 | novosti
Posted on September 17, 2008 8:44:51 PM PDT by Flavius
CARACAS, September 17 (RIA Novosti)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2084852/posts?page=2#2
#
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2084852/posts
“Reliance on Russian gas ‘threatens Britain’s security’”
telegraph.co.uk ^ | September 17, 2008 | Jon Swaine
Posted on September 17, 2008 10:29:19 PM PDT by Tailgunner Joe
http://www.covertradioshow.com
#
http://www.covertradioshow.com/podcast.cfm?pid=65
DESCRIPTION - QUOTE: “Covert Radio Show: Yemen Attacks and Pakistan
An in depth look at the terror attacks in Yemen and the latest on Pakistan. Today a great show, we talk to Jane Novak from Armies of Liberation.Com about Yemen. We also talk to Daveed Gartenstein Ross from DefendDemocracy.Org about Yemen and Pakistan and Bill Roggio from LongWarJournal.Org on the latest from Pakistan. This is a marquee show! Runs 60 Minutes”
ADDING to post no. 369:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2074194/posts?page=369#369
#
UPDATE:
http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/022751.php
(REUTERS, September 17, 2008)
September 18, 2008
“Jihadists force closure of Mogadishu airport”
MOGADISHU
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/mauritania/
#
http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/022750.php
(AP, September 17, 2008)
September 18, 2008
“Al-Qaeda claims Mauritania attack: “This jihadist operation targeted the allies of the Americans, the crusaders on Islamic Mauritanian territory occupied by infidels””
#
Previously...
http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/022713.php
(AGENCE-FRANCE PRESSE, September 15, 2008)
September 16, 2008
“Al-Qaeda-linked jihadist group kills 12 Mauritanian soldiers”
http://www.truthusa.com/IRAN.html
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/ahmadinejad
#
http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/Read.aspx?GUID=E276DC49-25A9-459D-B58A-5044EBC154BF
“The Return”
By P. David Hornik
FrontPageMagazine.com | Thursday, September 18, 2008
ARTICLE SNIPPET: “Incitement to genocide is doing well these days. On Monday, September 22, Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will be arriving to address the UN General Assembly for the third time.”
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2084091/posts
#
QUOTE:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2084091/posts?page=56#56
UPDATE:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,424386,00.html
“25 Arrested for Attack on U.S. Embassy in Yemen”
Thursday, September 18, 2008
ARTICLE SNIPPET: “SAN’A, Yemen — At least 25 militants with suspected links to Al Qaeda have been arrested in connection with the deadly attack on the U.S. Embassy in the Yemeni capital, a senior security official said Thursday.
The Yemeni official said the 25 have been rounded up from various parts of Yemen over the past 24 hours and were being questioned by Yemeni and U.S. investigators.”
56 posted on September 18, 2008 3:47:22 AM PDT by Cindy
PERSECUTION.ORG
http://www.persecution.org
#
http://www.assistnews.net/Stories/2008/s08090115.htm
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
“Two More Churches Vandalized in India”
By James Varghese
Special to ASSIST News Service
KARNATAKA, INDIA
#
http://www.assistnews.net/Stories/2008/s08090108.htm
Visit our web site at: www.assistnews.net — E-mail: assistnews@aol.com
Monday, September 15, 2008
“Authorities Make Arrests in Church Attacks in India”
By Michael Ireland
Chief Correspondent, ASSIST News Service
KARNATAKA, INDIA
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/pa/pa_1161.html
“Worldwide Caution”
July 16, 2008
SNIPPET: “This Worldwide Caution updates information on the continuing threat of terrorist actions and violence against Americans and interests throughout the world.”
Note: The following text is a quote:
http://www.mnf-iraq.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=22429&Itemid=21
Press Release A080918a-320
September 18, 2008
Coalition forces strike several al-Qaeda networks (Baghdad)
BAGHDAD – Coalition forces captured three wanted men and detained nine additional suspected terrorists during operations to disrupt the al-Qaeda in Iraq terrorist network Wednesday and Thursday.
In Bi’aj Thursday, 130 km southwest of Mosul, Coalition forces captured three wanted men believed to be associated with an AQI organization facilitating the entry of foreign terrorists into Iraq.
Two separate operations Wednesday and Thursday in the vicinity of Sharqat, 90 km south of Mosul, netted three suspects believed to be AQI liaisons.
Another operation Thursday in the Sharqat area resulted in three detainees believed to have information about a terrorist who places improvised explosive devices along highways in eastern Iraq.
Four detainees were apprehended during an operation Thursday targeting AQI leaders in the Bayji area, 160 km south of Mosul.
“Iraqi and Coalition operations continue to disrupt AQI networks by detaining terrorists before they can do harm to the people of Iraq,” said Maj. John C. Hall, MNF-I spokesman.
-30-
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