Alleged drug-ring boss arrested

By Daniel Borunda / El Paso Times
Article Launched: 05/10/2008 12:00:00 AM MDT

The alleged leader and seven alleged members of an El Paso-area marijuana trafficking ring were arrested Thursday after an investigation by a DEA task force, officials with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration said Friday.
Rafael Garcia is suspected of leading a ring that smuggled large amounts of marijuana and stored it in stash houses in El Paso before transporting the contraband to other cities.

"They distributed through-out the United States. Some of the major cities were Chicago, Miami, Oklahoma City and Memphis," said Matthew Taylor, a spokesman for the El Paso Field Division of the DEA.

Authorities said they seized 1,603 pounds of marijuana and also arrested Jorge Garcia, Manuel Gonzales, Aida Cervantes, Andres Cardenas, Margareta Avila, Melissa Avila and Michael Avila.

Taylor said the ring was working for a Mexican drug cartel, but further details about the organization and its members, some of whom are related, was not immediately available.

"Illegal activities associated with drug trafficking and associated violence will not be tolerated," John J. Riley, DEA Special Agent in Charge of the El Paso Division, said in a news release. "These arrests would not have been possible without the cooperation and critical assistance of our law enforcement partners."

The task force that investigated the ring was made up of the DEA, El Paso police and sheriff's deputies, the Border Patrol and the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Daniel Borunda may be reached at dborunda@elpasotimes.com;546-6102.

http://www.elpasotimes.com/ci_9213151