News
Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 10, 2002
For
further information, contact:
DEA Public Affairs: 202-307-7977
MORE
THAN 100 ARRESTED IN NATIONWIDE
METHAMPHETAMINE INVESTIGATION
Today,
the Drug Enforcement Administration, together with the U.S. Customs Service,
Internal Revenue Service and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, announced
the arrests of more than 100 individuals in twelve cities in connection
with a nationwide investigation targeting the illegal trafficking of pseudoephedrine.
Pseudoephedrine is an essential precursor chemical used to manufacture
the illegal drug, methamphetamine.
Federal
agents, with assistance from numerous state and local law enforcement
agencies, carried out the arrests in Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, Houston,
Phoenix, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Riverside, Fresno, San Diego, and Carlsbad,
California. In addition, agents worked jointly with state and local
law enforcement personnel, as well as with federal, state and local
prosecutors, as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force
(OCDETF).
This
investigation is the third phase of Operation Mountain Express and stems
from a previous national enforcement effort which targeted rogue U.S.
based chemical registrants who, although authorized to distribute List
I chemicals, were illegally diverting and distributing pseudoephedrine
to methamphetamine production organizations operating in California
and elsewhere. Over the past year, federal agents have focused their
investigation on a structured national network that has been responsible
for illegally smuggling Canadian manufactured pseudoephedrine into the
United States and further distributing the chemical to methamphetamine
production organizations, primarily in California.
U.S.
Attorney General John Ashcroft stated, Equally as serious as trafficking
illegal drugs is the illegal trafficking of chemicals used to produce
drugs. The DEAs continued success demonstrates that we will not
allow drugs to prey on our communities and children. We will continue
to work together to remove this scourge from our nation.
According
to DEA Administrator Asa Hutchinson, In the last two years, the
use of Canadian pseudoephedrine has become the norm rather that the
exception in West Coast based Mexican methamphetamine laboratories.
The fact that the super methamphetamine laboratory operations are having
to obtain their pseudoephedrine from out of the country demonstrates
the success of U.S. efforts to control the illegal diversion of pseudoephedrine
within our borders.
U.S.
Customs Service Commissioner Robert C. Bonner added, Operation
Mountain Express III should have a significant impact on methamphetamine
trafficking in this country. By targeting the groups that smuggle pseudoephedrine
from Canada into the U.S., this operation has denied Mexican meth
manufacturers a primary source of precursor chemicals. The huge pseudoephedrine
seizures in this case prevented thousands of pounds of meth
from being manufactured and sold on the streets of our country.
In
addition to todays 54 arrests, 67 individuals were arrested previously
as part of this investigation. Today federal agents also executed 49
search warrants, confiscated 96 automobiles, restrained bank accounts,
businesses, and residences, and seized $350,000 in U.S. currency in
connection with this investigation.
The
IRS is pleased to be able to provide its financial investigative expertise
to the war on narcotics. Because we can often determine the origins
and destinations of the drug trafficking proceeds, we are able to identify
the leaders of the narcotics organizations, said IRS Deputy Commissioner
Bob Wenzel.
As
of noon today, Operation Mountain Express (Phases I, II, & III)
has resulted in the seizure of over 30 tons of pseudoephedrine, 181
pounds of methamphetamine, over 300 arrests, 9 clandestine methamphetamine
laboratories, and over $16 million in U.S. Currency.
Federal
indictments have been returned in connection with this third phase of
Mountain Express in U.S. District Courts with the cooperation of U.
S. Attorneys offices in the Central District of California (Los Angeles);
the Southern District of California (San Diego); the District of Arizona
(Phoenix); the Northern District of Illinois (Chicago); the Eastern
District of Michigan (Detroit) and the District of Nevada (Las Vegas).
Operation
Mountain Express Phase III, was coordinated by the Drug Enforcement
Administrations joint law enforcement program called the Special
Operations Division, which is comprised of agents and analysts from
DEA, Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Customs Service, Internal
Revenue Service, as well as attorneys from the Department of Justices
Criminal Division.
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