Thread: 175 alleged drug cartel members arrested

175 alleged drug cartel members arrested

By Kate Brumback
ASSOCIATED PRESS

10:58 a.m. September 17, 2008

ATLANTA – Agents dealt a substantial blow to an extremely violent Mexican drug cartel with 175 arrests in the U.S. and Italy, Attorney General Michael Mukasey said Wednesday.
The Gulf cartel is responsible for importing tons of cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin and marijuana from Central and South America into the U.S. and then distributing it, Mukasey said.

The cartel is also believed to have laundered millions of dollars and has become a driving force behind escalating violence in Mexico and along the southwestern border of the U.S.
The arrests Tuesday and Wednesday were the result of a coordinated effort among hundreds of law enforcement officials. They were announced in Atlanta, identified as a regional hub for the cartel, where 43 people were arrested.

The Mexico-based cartel has high-level members in other regional hubs, such as Dallas, and is branching out into smaller cities such as Jackson, Miss., and Birmingham, Ala., said Drug Enforcement Administration agent William Matthews.

People were arrested in a dozen states as agents targeted the cartel's infrastructure, including transportation routes and distribution cells.

Through collaboration with Italian authorities, 10 people were also arrested in the Calabria region of Italy on charges related to drugs trafficked through New York.

“We're going after the top leadership on down to regional leaders,â€

Interesting story JohnDoe2. This web of filth reaches all over the globe it seems. If every affected country goes after them it should seriously impair their ability to operate.

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