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June 27, 2006

NewsChannel 19's Amber Stuart Reports

29 people were arrested on drug charges by federal and local agencies Tuesday.

27 of them were illegal immigrants.

The drug organization busted is known as the Salomon Mexican Drug Trafficking Organization, and the ring leader Oscar Salomon came down with it as well.
It started early Tuesday morning. Law enforcement from at least ten agencies started busting a drug ring that supplied dealers across North Alabama and adjoining states.

Agents busted homes in Decatur, Hartselle, Huntsville, Madison, Crossville and Cullman.

They seized pounds of methamphetamine, ICE, guns, money and 10 pounds of MSM, which is used to cut meth.

10 pounds of MSM equals 20 pounds of meth on the street.

Officers didn't find any meth labs during the busts. U.S. Attorney Alice Martin says that's because the drugs were brought into the Tennessee Valley from Mexico, where meth is produced in massive amounts.

"They're bringing in hundreds of pounds," Martin says. "You don't cook hundreds of pounds, except in super labs, which we don't have in this area of the United States."
People who lived in areas where agents were making arrests were curious as to what was going on.

"Helicopters were hovering over the trailers when I came," says witness David Bates. "A swat team was out and they wouldn't let anyone near the trailer."

In an attempt to make another arrest, a man was shot by police.

"They just went boom, boom, boom," said witness Aaliyah McCoy.

There was no arrest warrant for the man who was shot. Police say he wasn't cooperating with them.

Family members say the man who was shot was 50-year-old Kenneth Jamar.

Officers say they were attempting to arrest another man when Jamar was shot.

Police say he had a gun.

As for the roundup, Martin says a huge drug trafficking organization was taken off the streets.

"We hope it means the streets will be safer, that you'll see a decrease in violent crime," she says. "We hope you'll see dealers go to other places. We hope they'll go back over the border willingly instead of being taken into federal custody. We hope that citizens who can't get their drugs for a few days will decide it's time for rehab and get off the drugs."

More arrests are expected to be made in this drug bust. Stay with NewsChannel 19 for the very latest and check whnt.com for updates