I.C.E. News Release

February 3, 2011
San Juan, PR

ICE dismantles Caribbean cell of El Norte del Valle Colombian drug cartel

Arrests took place in Puerto Rico, New York, Florida, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, Dominican Republic and Colombia

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents, working jointly with Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Puerto Rico Police Department, San Juan Municipal Police and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations and Interpol in Colombia, arrested 17 alleged members of the Caribbean cell of El Norte Valle Colombian drug cartel on Friday.

Those arrested Friday were among 23 individuals charged in five different indictments for drug trafficking and money laundering.

"Our efforts along with our domestic and international law enforcement partners have crippled the narcotic and money laundering activities of the Norte del Valle Cartel," said Roberto Escobar Vargas, special agent in charge of ICE HSI in Puerto Rico. "HSI will continue our relentless attack against this cartel, aiming to dismantle them and stop the violence they inflict on our communities."

According to the first indictment, beginning on January 2007 and ending in or about January 2008, Ricardo Betancourt-Muñoz, José Ramon Parra-Botero, William Garzon, Carlos Maestre-Astacio, Manuel De Jesús Cedeño-Vilorio, Miguel Ã