|
News
Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 1, 2001
Larimer
County Drug Task Force
Announces Conclusion of a Year-Long
DEA/LCDTF Investigation
47 Arrested
"Our
efforts are making a difference."
-
Asa Hutchinson
DEA Administrator
|
|
Lieutenant
Jim Broderick, Commander of the Larimer County Drug Task Force, announced
the conclusion of a year-long joint investigation which dismantled a significant
drug distribution organization operating in Fort Collins, Loveland, and
unincorporated Larimer County, Colorado. Joining Lieutenant Broderick
in this announcement were representatives from the U.S. Attorneys
Office, Larimer County District Attorneys Office, the Drug Enforcement
Administration (DEA), U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, and
the Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA).
The investigation,
dubbed Americas Town -- referring to the cities of Fort
Collins, Loveland, and unincorporated Larimer County -- resulted in the
arrest of 49 defendants (five arrests still pending) and the dismantling
of the Benjamin Escobar-Ortega drug trafficking organization at all levels,
from importation to retail drug distribution. Six defendants were charged
federally, with the remaining defendants facing charges locally. Some
of the arrested defendants have prior drug and/or violent crime arrests.
Although
not initially targeted, other significant distributors and suppliers of
cocaine and methamphetamine were uncovered, which led to the identification,
arrest, and charging of additional defendants. Connections and sources
of supply were identified in Longmont, Colorado; the state of Nebraska;
and Phoenix, Arizona. Many of these suspects were arrested or are now
the subjects of ongoing investigations.
"Ice" methamphetamine
Powder Cocaine
Marijuana
|
The investigation
was initiated in August 2000 by the DEA agent assigned to the Task Force,
and Task Force detectives who began targeting a known cocaine and methamphetamine
trafficker, Benjamin Roberto Escobar-Ortega. Over the next seven months,
other seemingly unrelated Task Force investigations began to reveal that
this organization was a significant source of supply for the area. In
March 2001 a federal wire tap was authorized, which detailed the scope
of drug trafficking involving this organization.
From March 26, 2001,
through April 17, 2001, over 2,200 phone conversations were intercepted,
of which 1,647 pertained to the sale and distribution of drugs. During
this 23-day period, investigators overheard pertinent conversations concerning
drug transactions that totaled 2.5 kilos of methamphetamine, over 1.5
kilos of cocaine, and 5.5 pounds of marijuana. With the interception of
over 1,000 incriminating phone calls, this investigation provided a window
into the drug trade and the extent of negative impact in has on a community.
On April 17, 2001,
investigators learned that Benjamin Roberto Escobar-Ortega had returned
to the Fort Collins area after smuggling methamphetamine and cocaine from
Phoenix, Arizona. Escobar-Ortega and Juan Ramon Ramos-Avila were arrested
on April 17, 2001, outside a motel at Johnsons Corner by Task force
detectives. On April 18, 2001, the cocaine and methamphetamine imported
into Colorado by Escobar-Ortega was recovered from a vehicle in Longmont,
Colorado. More than 1/2 kilo of cocaine and a pound of methamphetamine
were recovered. Subsequent to the arrests of the primary target and his
associates, nine search warrants were executed in various locations in
Fort Collins, Longmont, and Larimer County, resulting in the arrest of
seven individuals for immigration violations and the recovery of additional
drugs and weapons, including a sawed-off shotgun, .22 caliber handgun,
a stolen .357 caliber handgun, .32 caliber handgun, and a Tech 9 semi-automatic
machine pistol.
Lieutenant Broderick
acknowledged the close working relationship the Task Force with federal
law enforcement and prosecutors, and praised the great lengths investigators
went to in order to identify and arrest as many suspects as possible throughout
all tiers of the Benjamin Escobar-Ortega drug distribution network. A
deliberate effort was made to reach down and disrupt all levels of the
organization, including street level sales, in order to have the greatest
impact on the community drug problem as possible.
The Larimer County
Drug Force is a multi-jurisdictional drug task force staffed by personnel
from Fort Collins Police Services, Larimer County Sheriffs Office,
Loveland Police Department, Colorado State University Police Department,
Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Colorado National Guard. Other
agencies assisting in this investigation included the Longmont Police
Department and the Weld County Drug Task Force. For additional information
on the investigation, contact Lt. Jim Broderick, LCDTF, at (970) 593-0451.
Contact:
Rita Davis
Fort Collins Police Services
(970) 221-6628
|