CHICAGO (ENN) - Federal law enforcement agents using high-tech eavesdropping devices gathered evidence against Mexican drug smugglers for more than eight months in one of the largest drug operations in history. The sweep was called, Operation Zorro II. Arrested were 150 drug smugglers who thought they were mostly unseen as they calmly drove vans and autos packed with pure cocaine to some of the largest cities in the U.S.
Federal authorities said on Thursday that they have crippled the Mexican-Colombian cocaine smuggling ring that went from coast-to-coast in the United States. U.S. Attorney James B. Burns told a news conference on Thursday, "This investigation has driven a stake through the heart of one of the largest, most sophisticated organizations bringing vast quantities of cocaine into the country."
While the investigation, that started in September of 1995, was going on, the smugglers moved more than $100 million of cocaine into the U.S. The smugglers hid the drugs inside of car trunks, wheel wells and other places inside of autos and crossed the U.S.-Mexican border in California, Arizona and Texas. The drugs were then taken to stash houses of wholesalers in Los Angeles and then would be distributed to Mexican and Colombian drug dealers all across the country.
Law Enforcement officials believe that the operation will put a huge dent into the smuggling done by the ring that is headquartered in Sinaloa, Mexico. But authorities concede that other Mexican drug rings will probably pick up the slack and keep the cocaine flowing in from Colombia.
The cocaine is known to have come from the Cali cartel and it was sold to drug dealers in Chicago, New York City, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Miami, Newark, Richmond and several cities in Texas.
Among those arrested on Thursday were a New York City Police officer and a sergeant in the New York National Guard. Authorities said that these two men were used as drug couriers and moved cocaine from Miami and/or Richmond to the streets of New York City.
The investigation utilized more than 100 court-authorized wiretaps. Authorities were also able to clone pagers that were used by the smugglers. This helped in learning when and where the drug couriers were moving the drugs.
While making many of the arrests on Thursday, agents were able to seize six tons of cocaine. Federal authorities said that they are increasingly focusing on stopping drug shipments that are coming through the State of Florida.
Special Agent Charles E. Riley III, the chief of one of the FBI's organized crime-drug sections in Washington, said, "They're not stupid criminals. They'll look at what law enforcement is doing and spend the money to counteract it. The cartels moved to the southwest border, knowing it would take us time to react. Heaven knows what their next step will be."
In Chicago, on Thursday, several arrests were made in the City and in many of its suburbs, including Cicero, Des Plaines and Aurora. When asked if the cocaine trade in Chicago has been crippled by the federal operation, Chicago Police Superintendent Matt Rodriguez said that we would have to wait and see how the price for drugs on the street are affected. That is the best indicator.