Thread: DEA: probes result in 3,780 arrests

DEA: probes result in 3,780 arrests
Posted: Dec 07, 2012 8:15 AM PST
Updated: Dec 07, 2012 8:15 AM PST


WASHINGTON (AP) - The Drug Enforcement Administration says a two-year series of investigations targeting the Sinaloa (sihn-uh-LOH'-uh) and Juarez (wor-EHZ') drug cartels and violent street gangs has resulted in 3,780 arrests and the seizure of some 375,000 pounds of drugs.

The probes reached into 79 U.S. cities and points in Central America, Europe, Mexico and South America.

The investigations were part of Project Below the Beltway. DEA administrator Michele Leonhart says they were carried out by local, federal and international law enforcement and have weakened the cartels and their gang associates.

Investigators seized $186 million in drug money in the initiative. Internal Revenue Service chief Richard Weber says the agency is still pursuing money laundering charges against narcotics traffickers.

The drugs seized in the law enforcement effort included cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin and marijuana.

http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/story/20288089/dea-probes-result-in-3780-arrests

December 6, 2012
Contact: DEA Public Affairs
(202) 307-7977

“Project Below the Beltway” Targets Sinaloa and Juarez Cartels and Affiliated Violent Street Gangs Nationwide

DEC 06 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Drug Enforcement Administration today announced the results of “Project Below the Beltway”, a two-year series of investigations targeting the Sinaloa and Juarez Cartels and violent street gangs as part of on-going initiative against the cartels and their distribution network in America. The series of federal, state, and local investigations began in May 2010 and culminated on December 6, 2012.

Project Below the Beltway is comprised of investigations in 79 U. S. cities and several foreign cities within Central America, Europe, Mexico, South America and elsewhere, this initiative has resulted in 3,780 arrests, and the seizure of 6,100 kilograms of cocaine, 10,284 pounds methamphetamine, 1,619 pounds of heroin, 349,304 pounds of marijuana, $148 million dollars in U.S. currency, and $38 million dollars in other assets to date.

In addition to the federal investigations, Project Below the Beltway also consisted of numerous state and local investigations that targeted the Sinaloa and Juarez Cartels and associated drug trafficking organizations. The Sinaloa and Juarez Cartels are responsible for bringing multi-ton quantities of narcotics, including cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and marijuana from Mexico into the United States. These cartels are also believed to be responsible for laundering millions of dollars in criminal proceeds from illegal drug trafficking activities. Individuals indicted in the cases are charged with a variety of crimes, including: various felony provisions of the Controlled Substances Act; conspiracy to import controlled substances; money laundering; firearms violations and other related offenses.

Multiple U.S. Judicial Districts were part of Project Below the Beltway.

“We've orchestrated a sustained wave of coordinated, aggressive enforcement actions to weaken these cartels and their violent gang associates,” said DEA Administrator Michele M. Leonhart. “These international organized crime regimes operate without borders and our ongoing investigations in the U.S. and overseas will continue to target its members wherever they operate. Project Below the Beltway would not have been possible without the hard work and dedication of our local, federal and international partners.”

"IRS Criminal Investigation has been involved in combating drug-related crimes for some time." said IRS chief Richard Weber. "We play a unique role in federal law enforcement's counter-drug effort, in that we target the profit and financial gains of narcotics traffickers. And we will continue to investigate them by pursuing sophisticated, income tax, currency, and money laundering charges against these criminals."

The DEA Special Operations Division (SOD) coordinated Project Below The Beltway and the efforts of the DEA, Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Customs and Border Protection, United States Marshals Service, the Office of Foreign Asset Control, and numerous state and local law enforcement entities.

SOD is a DEA led, multi-agency, operational coordination center whose mission is to establish seamless law enforcement strategies and operations aimed at dismantling national and international trafficking organizations by attacking their command and control communications.

http://www.justice.gov/dea/divisions/hq/2012/hq120612.shtml

DEA seizes $186 million from Mexican drug traffickers

The investigation was conducted in 79 cities in and out the U.S.

by EFE Agency
December 7 2012

WASHINGTON.- The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) said today that thanks to an undercover investigation that began in May 2010, the authorities managed to seize $ 186 million in cash and other assets from Mexican drug traffickers.

The DEA through a statement said that “Below the Beltway Project", was a surveillance operation of Mexican drug cartels of Sinaloa and Juarez, and also of violent street gangs to fight drug traffickers and their distribution networks in the U.S.

As the result of the investigation and with the help of local and state authorities, the U.S. seized $148 million in cash and another $ 38 million in other assets of drug traffickers.

The investigation was conducted in 79 cities in and out the U.S. from May 2010 to December 6th, which also resulted in the arrest of 3,780 individuals and the seizure of 6,100 kilos of cocaine, 4,668 kilos of methamphetamine, 735 kilos of heroin and 158,584 kilos of marijuana.

Those arrested face charges of drug trafficking, money laundering, violation of prohibitions related to the use of firearms and other crimes.

"These international organized crime schemes operate without borders and our ongoing investigations in the U.S. and abroad continue against its members, wherever they may operate," said DEA Administrator Michele M. Leonhart in the statement.

Editorial@sandiegored.com
Translation : Omar.Martinez@sandiegored.com

http://www.sandiegored.com/noticias/31851/DEA-seizes-186-million-dollars-from-Mexican-drug-traffickers/