News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 4, 2003

Miami Field Division Hosts Club Drug Conference

from left: Marcos Jimenez, U.S. Attorney Southern District of Florida, John Brown, Acting DEA Administrator, Thomas W. Raffanello, Special Agent in Charge Miami Field Division, Don DeLucca, Police Chief City of Miami Beach and Larry Freeman, Police Chief City of Bal Harbour.

from left: John Brown, Acting DEA Administrator and Thomas W. Raffanello, Special Agent in Charge Miami Field Division,

From February 4-6, the Miami Field Division (MFD) hosted a three-day conference on "club drugs" as part of DEA's nationwide Operation X-OUT. On February 4, SAC Thomas W. Raffanello opened the conference, which was themed "Dancing with Darkness." Opening remarks were provided by DEA Acting Administrator John Brown, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Marcos Jimenez, City of Miami Beach Police Chief Don DeLucca and City of Bal Harbour Police Chief Larry Freeman. Several topics were discussed on opening day, which was primarily aimed at members of the community and the press. On February 5, federal, state, local and foreign liaison law enforcement agencies convened to discuss the problems of club drugs and potential strategies. The final day was held at the MFD Training room and several MFD groups presented their significant MDMA cases to representatives of the Netherlands National Synthetic Drugs Unit.