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News
Release
June 18, 2003
For More Information Contact:
Thomas P. O'Brien
Public Information Officer
509-353-2906
Cross
Border Cocaine / Pseudoephedrine Smuggling Ring Dismantled
Today, John M. Bott,
Special Agent in Charge, Seattle Field Division and James A. McDevitt,
United States Attorney for the Eastern Judicial District of Washington
announced the culmination of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task
Force (OCDETF) investigation that resulted in the arrest of nine suspects
for conspiracy to import 689,000 pseudoephedrine pills into the United
States and conspiracy to export over 5 kilograms of cocaine to Canada.
Three other suspects were arrested for Federal immigration violations
This 13 month OCDETF
investigation climaxed with the execution of 8 Federal search warrants
in Schawana, WA; Mattawa, WA and Royal City, WA. The search warrants produced
three semi-automatic hand guns, eleven vehicles, approximately $100,000
in U.S. currency seized in Schawana, WA and seized approximately $16,000
during the arrest of one of the suspects in Seattle, WA. The United States
Attorney's Office for the Eastern Judicial District of Washington will
prepare the prosecution for the United States government.
This joint investigation
was spearheaded by the Drug Enforcement Administration Spokane Resident
Office Federal Task Force consisting of DEA Agents and Task Force Officers
from Washington State Patrol, Spokane County Sheriff's Office, Spokane
City Police Department, Internal Revenue Service and the Bureau of Immigration
and Customs Enforcement. Also assisting in this investigation is the United
States Attorney's Office, Grant County Sheriff's Office, Spokane County
Sheriff's Office Jail Transport Unit and Mattawa Police Department.
Arrested and charged
are the following individuals:
Adalberto Silva-Rivas,
Schawana, WA
Uriel R. Silva-Rivas, Schawana, WA
Rafael Magana, Mattawa. WA
Guadalupe Chirpres-Magana, Mattawa, WA
Marco Antonio Magana, Mattawa, WA
Estolia Rivas, Schawana, WA
Hector Luis Chirpres Magana, Mattawa, WA
Adolpho Rivas-Viveros, Royal City, WA
Thanh Thi Tuyen Tran, Seattle, WA
Arrested for immigration
violation are:
Uriel Chiprez Ramirez, Mattawa, WA
Benigno Hernandez, Royal city, WA
Alejandro Magana, Mattawa, WA
All mentioned suspects
are to be considered innocent until judged by a court of law.
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