http://www.wkyc.com/news/news_print.asp?id=79756

Cleveland multi-agency drug investigation cripples two Mexican trafficking organizations

POSTED: Wednesday, December 12, 2007 5:51:29 PM
UPDATED: Wednesday, December 12, 2007 9:43:05 PM

CLEVELAND – Fourteen kilos of cocaine, $80,000 in cash and a customized truck with hidden compartments were all seized as part of a months long drug trafficking investigation.

Michael McGrath, Chief of the Cleveland Division of Police, Gerald McFaul, Cuyahoga County Sheriff, Frank Figliuzzi, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Cleveland FBI and John Sommer, Director of the Cleveland area HIDTA Task Force made the announcement via a news release Wednesday.

Besides the drugs, money and truck seized in the investigation, law enforcement officers say three men arrested as a result of the bust were representatives of two separate, competing drug trafficking organizations based out of Sinaloa, Mexico.

The combined multi-agency investigation into one of the organizations put investigators onto the trail of the other.

The drug seizures from the two trafficking rings occurred within miles of each other on Cleveland’s west side.

From the news release on the drug bust

Arrested and facing Federal drug trafficking charges are Heriberto Gastelum-Calderon, Pedro Alvarez Corral and Delphin Feliciano Perez. Each male is in Federal custody and will face prosecution by the United States Attorney’s Office under the direction of US Attorney Greg White.

HIDTA (High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area) is a drug interdiction task force comprised of local law enforcement agencies. Members of Cleveland’s HIDTA include Cleveland Police and the Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Office as well as police departments from Brookpark, Rocky River, Independence, Broadview Hts., Newburgh Hts. and Woodmere. Investigators from the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles and Brooklyn Police also assisted in the investigation.



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