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News
Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 8, 2002
"LA
TO ALASKA DRUG CORRIDOR"
More than 100 subjects arrested in multi agency Drug Operations
Michele M. Leonhart,
Special Agent in Charge of the DEA in Los Angeles, and Ronald L. Iden,
Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI in Los Angeles announced the arrests
of approximately 100 subjects named in federal indictments and complaints
in connection with coordinated drug investigations in Los Angeles, California;
Anchorage, Alaska; and Kansas City, Kansas.
Sixteen subjects
were named in federal complaints or indictments in Operations Heavy Hitter,
Once Again, and So-Cal Snow. All three operations were based in Los Angeles.
Forty-four subjects were indicted in Operation Arctic Heat, based in Anchorage,
and 38 subjects were charged in Operation Sword Blade, based in Kansas
City, Kansas. The Los Angeles investigations were conducted by the DEA,
FBI, IRS, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, LAPD, Southern California
Drug Task Force, and the San Bernardino West End Narcotics Task Force.
The cases focused
on targets in Los Angeles who imported cocaine from Mexico and delivered
it to a number of cell heads in the Los Angeles area for further distribution
to various points nationwide. Operation Arctic Heat was initiated independently
in Anchorage, but later overlapped with the Los Angeles cases. Operation
Sword Blade was initiated in Kansas City after agents identified subjects
there who were receiving cocaine from subjects identified in the Heavy
Hitter and Once Again cases based in Los Angeles.
Michele M. Leonhart,
Special Agent in Charge of the DEA's Los Angeles Field Division, stated,
"These operations reveal the significant role Los Angeles plays in
international, national, and local cocaine trafficking."
The following are
some of the arrests and seizures made in Operations Heavy Hitter, Once
Again, and So-Cal Snow (by date; subjects; location; arresting agency
and/or Operation name). This list is only partial as there are several
spin-off and/or fugitive investigations still being worked based on other
seizures made in these cases.
02/14/02 Arrest of
Cenorino Espinoza and seizure of 30 kilos of cocaine and $16,300 in US
currency; 4348 Elizabeth, Cudahy, CA; RNSP; HEAVY HITTER.
02/27/02 Seizure
of 56 lbs of marijuana; 23211 Front Street, Lake Forest, CA; CHP; HEAVY
HITTER
04/25/02 Arrest of
Jose Martinez and German Hichos and seizure of 1 kilo of cocaine; Holmes
Street/ Slauson Avenue, Bell, CA; LASD; HEAVY HITTER
06/13/02 Arrest of
Leonard Brown and seizure of 400 grams of cocaine, 38.1 grams of heroin,
and $25,000 in US currency; 8919 Miner Street, LA, CA; RNSP/ LASD; ONCE
AGAIN
06/19/02 Arrest of
Jorge Arellano and Miguel Angel Sosa and seizure of 14.6 kilos of cocaine;
El Paso, TX; USCS; HEAVY HITTER
07/03/02 Arrest of
Pedro Rosario, Glenis Reynoso, and Marcelo Zapata, and seizure of 2 kilos
of cocaine; SO CAL SNOW
07/26/02 Arrest of
Hector Banuelos, Lauro Solano, and Julio Gonzalez, and seizure of 2.5
kilos of cocaine; Downey, CA; Downey PD; SO CAL SNOW
09/03/02 Arrest of
Jose Vinicio BELTRAN, and seizure of $103,756 U.S. currency; Paramount,
CA; LASD; HEAVY HITTER
09/25/02 Arrest of
Ernesto Salazar LOPEZ and Prudencio Salazar LOPEZ and seizure of 74 kilos
of cocaine, 75.9 grams of heroin, 1 van (with trap), 6 weapons (two fully
auto AK-47's, four .45 cal semi-auto handguns) and $21,501 U.S. currency;
Paramount, CA; LASD; HEAVY HITTER
09/30/02 Arrest of
Jose Alburto BELTRAN and seizure of 15 kilos of cocaine; Downey, CA; LASD;
HEAVY HITTER
For additional information,
please contact Special Agent Jose Martinez at DEA's Office of Public Affairs
at (213) 621-6714.
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