http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2007/sep ... aking_news

Link to NBC-2 News has photos and vid
http://www.nbc-2.com/articles/readartic ... 461&z=3&p=

By John Henderson

Thursday, September 6, 2007

The two men who were arrested for toting more than $1 million in HIV-treatment drugs on a bus traveling Alligator Alley on Wednesday are not U.S. citizens.

Immigration officials are investigating their status whether they were legally in this country.

Oscar Omar Zabala, 53, of Miami, and Juan Vasquez, 60, of New Jersey, were charged with 20 counts of trafficking contraband legend drugs, and booked into the Collier County jail.

Investigators aren't sure yet whether the case is part of a larger drug ring.

Florida Highway Patrol trooper Mike Gideons, who was involved in the arrest, said this morning that said the Drug Enforcement Administration is assisting in the investigation, which is now focused on the source of these drugs. He said there were 15 different types of drugs, most of them to treat HIV. He said some of the bottles sell for $1,500 and $2,500.

"We weren't familiar with them. When we first saw them we had to call Walgreen's and find out what price they would sell for," he said.

The drugs could be bought with a doctor's prescription, Gideons said.

"What we want to know whether it is a doctor somewhere (who is supplying the drugs) or if maybe a pharmaceutical company was broken into."

Drug-sniffing dogs first went to the more than $100,000 in currency the men had on them, as it had a strong marijuana smell.

"We don't know if was courier money (for transporting the HIV drugs). We're still trying to investigate it. Maybe it was their cut for bringing the drugs," Gideons said.

He said the drugs were being transported down from New Jersey.

Gideons said he did not believe their argument that they had this amount of HIV drugs to help family members.

"They had made statements they had people in their home country who are HIV positive, and these people provided them with money to purchase the drugs. But this is just way too many drugs here for a family alone."

He suspects the drugs were going to be sold on the black market.

"They might be going out of the country out of Miami," he said. "It's hard to say. It's too early to determine. They could have someone in Miami buying and flying it out. The DEA is investigating it with us. They picked up the money and are helping us track down the drugs with lot numbers. We will talk to manufacturer."

Gideons said he has never been involved in this type of a case. He said the drugs that are usually confiscated are illegal and harmful to people.

"I feel bad leaving these drugs in the evidence room," Gideons said. "There's a million dollars in drugs someone could use. I don't know how this will be handled down the road.

Normally drugs are destroyed at the end of a case