I.C.E. News Release

November 12, 2009

Five men arrested for distribution and trafficking Ecstasy at Newark Liberty International Airport

Drugs were smuggled into the U.S. from Canada

NEWARK, N.J. - Special agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested five men on Nov. 3 for distributing and trafficking Ecstasy through Newark Liberty International Airport. Two of those arrested were airline employees at the airport.

During Operation Blue Deception, Jason Hudson, 26, and Helder Silva, 28, both airline employees, were arrested in Newark. The following men were arrested in Elizabeth, N.J., after they delivered 8,500 tablets of suspected Ecstasy: Glenn Zapata, 27, Javier Campos, 28, and Isidoro Campos, 25. All five were charged federally for conspiracy to possess and distribute Ecstasy (21 USC Section 846).

"The arrests underscore ICE's commitment to disrupting and dismantling criminal organizations that brazenly take advantage of their positions at our ports of entry," said Peter T. Edge, special agent in charge of the ICE Office of Investigations in Newark. "The safety of the travelling public, security at our transportation hubs and stopping the flow of illegal narcotics are major ICE priorities."

The ICE-led undercover investigation and arrests were made with the extensive cooperation of the following law enforcement agencies: Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Inspector General's Office (PANYNJ), Newark Police Department, Union County Prosecutor's Office, Essex County Prosecutor's Office and Drug Enforcement Administration as part of an of the New York/New Jersey Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCEDTF).

"The Port Authority contract and airline employees arrested in this investigation abused their position of public trust, and their greed threatened to damage the integrity of airport operations,'' said PANYNJ Inspector General Robert VanEtten. "We will continue to work with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to bring to justice those individuals who threaten the public confidence in our agency."

The five individuals had an initial appearance in U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey on Wednesday. Silva has been released on bail. Javier Campos, Isidoro Campos, Glen Zapata and Jason Hudson remain in custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

-- ICE --

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was established in March 2003 as the largest investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security. ICE is comprised of five integrated divisions that form a 21st century law enforcement agency with broad responsibilities for a number of key homeland security priorities.

Last Modified: Thursday, November 12, 2009
U.S. Department of Homeland Security

http://www.ice.gov/pi/nr/0911/091112newark.htm