| OCR Text |
Wednesday, August 18, 1999, THE DAILY HERALD. Provo, Utah NATION Federal agents break up drug network in 14 cities more kilograms of cocaine, two Ferrari autos, a Land Rover and seven weapons, including By MICHAEL J. SNIFFEN Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON 'an AK-4assault rifle, Assistant FBI Director Thomas Pickard said. By late Tuesday afternoon, 77 arrests had been made, and more than 20 others were expected, the FBI said. "This has investigation resulted in a major disruption of the flow of drugs from the Southwest border throughout the United States," said FBI Federal ' agents arrested scores of people and seized drugs and in ' 14 cities Tuesday in anmoney effort to break up what the FBI called lone of the top 20 drug distrib- ution networks in the country. Agents had warrants to .'arrest 100 people and search s more than 70 sites in an operation against a group alleged to import tons of cocaine and marijuana across the Southwest and distribute it in the border , East and Midwest. The target of the multia-gencOperation Southwest Express was the drug traffick-inorganization of Omar " Rocha Soto, arrested with his wife, Adriana Espinoza, early Tuesday as they left their $649,000 home in a San Diego 7 Director Louis Freeh. Pickard said the raids disrupted "a major drug trafficking organization from its distribution system to its retail sales." He ranked the group among "the top 20" drug trafficking networks in the country. The group brought drugs into San Diego and El Paso and shipped them to friends and associates in Chicago in covert compartments of cars, tractor-trailer- s and by piggyback y g "" suburb. "He was definitely on ; his way to being a "trafficker," said Errol Chavez, "thief of the Drug Enforcement San Diego J,'Administration's "office. Also arrested Tuesday were ' three brothers who agents said coordinated transportation for ' the group from their El Paso, Texas, base. Daniel, Raul and Sotello-Lope- z were Angel arrested in El Paso. , They and others arrested were charged with drug trafficking, money laundering and The trafficking conspiracy. charges alone can carry , prison terms. 'i ,; trains that , haul trailers, Pickard said. From Chicago, the drugs were sent on to Cleveland, New York and Boston and then to Nashville, Tenn., and Atlanta. He said the drugs originated in Mexico, South America and Southeast Asia. "This organization that was disrupted today embraced the American capitalist idea and 0 "This investigation has resulted in a major disruption of the flow of drugs from the Southwest border throughout the United States." FBI Director Louis Freeh In charge The investigation was conducted by the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Justice Department, Customs Service, Internal Service Revenue and and Immigration Naturalization Service. More than 50 state and local police agencies also took part. "The most important element was working together to pool our intelligence," said Joseph Keefe, DEA's chief of operations. special "Everybody's got a piece of information down to the local police level. It's jus a matter of getting everybody to work together on it." Summerfield Manor em? would sell any type of drug for a profit," Pickard said. "It did not discriminate in its dealings with any other drug organizations. For example, they sold to Dominicans, blacks, Middle Easterners and any other organized crime group throughout the United States." Page All Utah County's Finest in Assisted Living FREE Health Fair Friday, August 20 a.Q 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Q.: Open House & W: Health Clinic will include: Urology Clinic of Utah Valley - Incontinence Therapy Information First Choice Home Care Balance Clinic Intenvest Medical - Medical Supply fflC Home Care Utah Valley Eye Center CNS Home Care - Oxygen Level Screening - Glaucoma, Cataract & Vision Screening Senior Solutions - Insurance and Health Care Options Horizon Home Health - Blood Pressure Checks - Blood Sugar Screening Orem Foot Clinic - Foot Checks Physical & Sports Therapy Services - Physical Therapy Consulting Integrated Health Systems -Therapeutic Massage and Relaxation Techniques Kensington Medical - Medical Supply 4 p.m. Ribbon Cutting by newly appointed Mayor Chris Yandow. i 4" l 20-ye- t Tons of drugs During the yearlong investigation, agents seized 4,158 pounds of marijuana, 2,727 kilograms of cocaine and more than $1.15 million in cash. Seized Tuesday were 14 W dEMto ; MO XX North 911 N. 800 W., Orem, Utah 84057 (801) 434-7581 Kir.ll?LT Records Presents iactutttt Save ALL n SCHOOL H EZBESSmmM Buy One Get One B2$1 7f 20( ' .Excludes: Milk, Eggs Items, Discount Card Frozen Friday CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS 4 tun m LIMIT ' ; n ' 5)(g)0 George Frideric . OF AROMASEtJSE Order by Card cannon be used with any other discount, promotion or advertised specials. Efk w Sto (Price Include 360 N. Main 2834838 355 S.600E. 9 1.99 A.M. TO 1 wort; thick modi rurtn SIQOfn. 'HskfheMostotfoir firDevUWSoduvCU WAkitimi Oratorio 'On Conductor 9 9 A.M. shlpplnar, , , Ann J .1 pWBsacBsca recordhgstw , PrtllMs SitVMH, Ct your died Records af . ' lt f try? t I r-JL5 rArwiftshF Hon; off ulttie Vj l i;!iHi!ji i RM. Sat. TO of k rorornuscalsamrie, ra Hon. EPHRAIM 377-077- accom- -' iiteriot or ooi!! f If tr NnHI M tfeJfro Provo Stoke 1 Two Cassettes $400 REG. ,. Two CDs CANDLE $5 Discount Card. dollar production was Htet Willi TKs is John valued it above all his worldly accolades saying, "I leave this work., .as an endowment to the world." BOX flFF w 12 million ' . 1 Rsconkgrwaw Award-winnin- LB s bssR cssouotad this Messiah preserved history, and created history in a combination of human talent and divine inspiration. This 2 4 tbxi is v the caring touch of the late John Mosely, Academy recording engineer and producer. BUTTERFLAKE ROLLS 25 tklelViCdt century oratorio ' t 4 plished through NightFro's revolutionary technology and RENUZIT 7o 6i ail thris!' Tabernacle on Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah I HA2ELW00D FROZEN $999 , g American Christmas favorite. From the historic GREAT SELECTION TOOLS tribute to the mastetpl&c and Injplred by God. Jhe GreatesT Messiah Ever Recorded ROUND OR SQUARE 2 1 '4 Hfjl 4$J 00 All Frozen Food Fridays Only FREE ; P SILVER SERVING C TRAYS 1 OFF mh v " ILL "best'Me:3&fi-feco?flisi- , 30 ' Discdvet the majesty,:cf the ' ' Not Included ALL 1 Attest, tkndel , composed by t OFF - ' the Mormon Tabernacle Choi, and six of the orgarists, create the Ad Reg. 1.29 GET rmtrfJ cL.t of t - T the worVTs iljx, wsLi. J t CHERRY 7-U- , world's leading so'olits, arpLchodistt and REG. 79 100 CT. NigVRecc The ' . Super Senior Wednesday BULBS L--:- The BASKET FILTERS FBI LIGHT f MR. COFFEE TEAS OFF pr Store Prices Off Grocery 30-7- 0 V State 8 RM. Closed Sunday :X2 0 1 |
