Cartel bust details unfolding
By Mike Ward | Thursday, October 22, 2009, 10:31 AM
An Austin press conference is scheduled this afternoon to announce area arrests in a nationwide roundup of more than 300 suspected gang members in what law enforcement authorities say is the largest crackdown against a Mexican drug cartel operating in the United States.
The only Austin info so far: Multiple search warrants and apprehensions have been carried out, a “significant amount” of cocaine and cash has been seized in the bust of the La Familia drug gang.
Officials so far are declining comment publicly, saying an afternoon announcement of the crackdown will provide further details.
In Washington, federal officials late this morning announced that 303 people in 19 states — including Texas — have been apprehended as part of the crackdown. More than 3,000 agents and officers made the arrests in a two-day sweep that netted 62 kilograms of cocaine, 729 pounds of methamphetamine, 967 pounds of marijuana, 144 weapons, 109 vehicles and two clandestine drug labs.
“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 Michele Leonhart, acting administrator of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
“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.”
Authorities said the massive bust is the product of a 44-month, multi-agency operation called “Project Coronado,” targeting illicit drug and crime operations of the cartel that has gained in strength since it split off from the Gulf cartel in 2006.
It was formed in the 1980s in the southwestern Mexican state of Michoacan and is involved in drug trafficking, bribery, contract killings, human smuggling, extortion, murders, torture and arms trafficking, according to several U.S. investigators who are familiar with the group.
According to federal officials, a New York grand jury has indicted alleged cartel leader and founder Servando Gomez-Martinez.
In July, after a dozen Mexican law enforcement officers were found murdered, officials say Gomez-Martinez publicly announced his membership in La Familia and said the cartel was locked in a battle with Mexican police, according to press reports at the time.
According to one federal indictment unsealed in New York, associates of La Familia based in the United States have 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.
Officials said suspects indicted in the crackdown face charges ranging from conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana to trafficking in illicit drugs to money laundering; and other violations of federal law
In addition to Texas, states where arrests have been made or charges filed include California, Colorado, Georgia, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Washington state, according to federal officials.
“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 U.S. 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.”
http://www.statesman.com/blogs/conte...unfolding.html