AP Texas News

Aug. 28, 2007, 5:19PM
22 indicted after 18-month federal drug conspiracy probe

By STEVE BRISENDINE Associated Press Writer
© 2007 The Associated Press

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — An 18-month, multistate probe yielded 22 indictments and the seizure of large quantities of drugs and cash, authorities said Tuesday.

By midafternoon, U.S. Attorney Eric Melgren said, at least 16 of the 22 were in custody. Most were from the Kansas City area.

The drugs — mostly marijuana and cocaine — originated largely in Mexico and were brought in for distribution in the Kansas City area, officials said at a news conference.

"In years gone by, we've seen it go through on the interstate highway system," said Don Medrala, assistant special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Agency's office in Kansas City, Mo. "This was going to stay here."

DEA investigators in Minneapolis, Denver, Albuquerque, N.M., Tucson, Ariz., El Paso, Texas, Richmond, Va., Wichita and Orlando, Fla., took part in the probe, Melgren said.

Over the course of the investigation, dubbed "Operation Loadrunner," authorities seized more than 15 pounds of cocaine and more than 2,500 pounds of marijuana, he said. The conspiracy netted more than $13 million for the ring, Melgren said, and authorities have seized more than $1 million.

Melgren said his office will seek to seize real estate and other property, valued around $12 million, in Kansas City, Kan., Kansas City, Mo., and Tucson, Ariz.

"We're going after the money," said Melgren, who was flanked by local, state and federal law enforcement officials from Kansas and Missouri.

Of the more than $1 million in cash already seized, Melgren said, the biggest share — almost $449,000 — was found hidden in a car in Emporia in September 2006.

Each of those named in the indictment faces one conspiracy count. Several face charges of using a cellular phone in furtherance of drug trafficking, and some are charged with money laundering.

The largest share were from Kansas City, Kan.: Trinidad Marquez-Martinez, 30; Santiago Maldonado, 23; Abel Portillo-Soto, 24; Jaime Ricardo Dominguez-Calderon, 35; Mario Castillo, 38; Jesus Gabriel Gandara-Escarcega, 35; and Esteban Maldonado-Rodriguez, 51.

Others for whom hometowns were available are Kevin Chism, 36, and Milo Santana Sanchez, 31, both of Kansas City, Mo.; Ziad Mousa Mussallet, 27, of Lee's Summit, Mo.; Daniel Morales-Marquez, 30, of Thornton, Colo.; Hector Contreras, 34, of El Paso; Jammaal D. Blacknoll, 23, Raymore, Mo.; and Johnathan M. Kohrs, Overland Park, Kan.

No hometowns were available for the other defendants: Ysidro Juarez Jr., 33; Luis Arturo Castro-Quezada, 44; Manuel Gerardo Terrazas; Yehia Hassen; Erica Barajas; Johnny Sanchez; Julio Cesar Loya-Contreras, 25; and Juan Javier Luna-Polanco.

There were no immigration counts filed against any of the defendants, Melgren said, but he did not rule out the possibility that some might have been in the country illegally.

Melgren and others declined to say whether the ring was part of a larger drug distribution network or whether most of the money generated by drug sales in the Kansas City area stayed there or was funneled out of the country.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/5090556.html