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Kind of stupid same thing happened to someone i know they got caught selling K to an undercover. The undercover was willing to pay alot for 1 case of k. Next thing you know after the deal the kid got arrested.
 
i wish my doctor was that cool. i could just pop in for a check-up and pop out with a smile on my face.
 
China deals harshly with drug-related crimes

YUNNAN, June 20 (Xinhuanet) --

China cracked a total of 546,900 drug-related criminal cases in five years from 1998 to 2003, seizing 51.03 tons of heroin and uprooted 427 hectares of opium poppy, according to the Ministry of Public Security Sunday.

Statistics available show that 235,600 crime suspects were arrested for producing, trafficking and selling drugs over the past five year period, and 52.43 tons of "ice", or methamphetamine hydrochloride, 14.73 tons of opium and 1,412.5 tons of chemicals that could be used to make drugs were confiscated in the same period.

A source with the ministry owned the achievements to the strike-hard policies of China's narcotics control units in combating drug-related crimes and highly-effective measures and substantial efforts the related units and localities across China have made inthe war on the drug-related criminal cases.

The building of drug-free villages and communities, as well as active involvement in the international narcotics control efforts,acknowledged the source, were all contributed to the victory over drug-related crimes in the country.

Despite the achievements, Zhou Yongkang, head of the National Narcotics Control Commission, on Sunday called for governments and narcotics control departments at all levels to attach still greater importance to the work of narcotics control.

Efforts are urgently required to curb production and sales of drugs and stem the increase in the number of drug addicts to reduce the harmful effects of drugs, Zhou told a national meeting on drug control, which was being held in Kunming, capital of southwest China's Yunnan province.

Zhou, a state councilor as well as a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, noted that situation remain stark though remarkable success had been attained in China's work to combat drug-related crimes.

"A harsh blow has to be dealt to drug-related criminal cases incompliance with law, and greater efforts must be made to spread knowledge on drugs among the general public so as to improve theirawareness of drug control," he underscored.

China now boasts an anti-drug police force of about 17,000 members, and its central government has input more than 600 million yuan (72.55 million US dollars) for drug control efforts over the past five years.



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Interpreter charged with cocaine trafficking

Interpreter charged with cocaine trafficking

A federal judge denies bail to Juan A. Giraldo, who has an office in the law firm run by the father and brother of Providence Mayor David N. Cicilline.


01:00 AM EDT on Tuesday, June 22, 2004


BY W. ZACHARY MALINOWSKI
Journal Staff Writer


PROVIDENCE -- An interpreter and investigator for several prominent defense lawyers in Providence was arrested at Logan International Airport in Boston last week on cocaine-trafficking charges.

Agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration stopped Juan A. Giraldo, 39, of East Greenwich, eight days ago as he, his girlfriend and two companions were about to board a flight for Colombia with more than $40,000 in their possession, the authorities said.

In recent years, Giraldo has worked for lawyers John F. "Jack" Cicilline and John M. Cicilline. They are the father and brother of Mayor David N. Cicilline.

The Cicillines said that Giraldo has an office in their law firm at 387 Atwells Ave., and he had previously worked with them in their offices on Dorrance Street and in Puerto Rico. They said that Giraldo also has provided services for lawyers Joseph A. Bevilacqua and Matthew B. Smith.

The Cicillines said Giraldo served as a Spanish interpreter and also did investigative work for them.

"This guy is a good guy," said John M. Cicilline, the mayor's brother. "He's a friend."

Cicilline also said that he had been helping Giraldo and others try to market an energy drink in South America, but he said they are not business partners.

"I'm hoping if they make it big they will remember me," he said.

On June 14, DEA agents got a signed arrest warrant for Giraldo in U.S. District Court, Providence, that charged him with conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. The next day, June 15, Giraldo's sister, Clara Vasquez, 40, of Providence, was arrested at her home and charged with the same offenses.

If convicted, Giraldo and Vasquez face a minimum of 5 years and a maximum of 40 years in prison.

According to an affidavit attached to the arrest warrant, DEA Special Agent James J. McCormack received information last November from an unnamed paid informant that Giraldo was "selling multikilogram quantities of cocaine."

From March 4 through March 25, the informant, under the supervision of the DEA, began an undercover drug investigation into the activities of Giraldo and Vasquez.

During the course of the probe, the affidavit says, the informant secretly recorded several phone conversations in which he arranged to buy a kilogram of cocaine from Giraldo for $23,000.

On March 14, the informant arranged a meeting to buy the cocaine.

The affidavit says that DEA agents set up surveillance outside Vasquez's home at 25 Lubec St., in Providence's Wanskuck section. The informant was in the house.

At 9 a.m., the agents saw Louis Giraldo, Juan's brother, enter the house. At 12:38 p.m., Juan Giraldo arrived, stayed for about five minutes and left, the affidavit says.

The informant later told the DEA agents that, during that time, the Giraldo brothers had agreed to sell him the kilogram of cocaine. At about 1:45 p.m., the informant left the house to buy food for Vasquez at a neighborhood market. DEA agents met him there.

The informant returned to the house, and the kilogram of cocaine was "sitting on the kitchen table," according to the affidavit.

"Vasquez later told [the informant] that after she sent [the informant] out to buy food, Louis Giraldo had gotten the kilogram and dropped it off in the kitchen," the affidavit says.

Louis Giraldo has not been charged in the case.

The informant left with the cocaine and turned it over to the DEA agents.

A few hours later, DEA agents gave him $24,500 to pay Juan Giraldo for the drugs. (The affidavit says the informant had negotiated a price of $23,000 and agreed to give Vasquez $1,500 for arranging the deal.)

He delivered the money to Vasquez, the affidavit says. Later, Juan Giraldo arrived at the house, went to the bedroom with Vasquez and emerged to tell the informant that he was satisfied all the money was there, the affidavit says.

LAST FRIDAY, Giraldo and Vasquez were escorted in handcuffs and prison uniforms into the federal courthouse in Providence for a lively hearing to determine whether they would be released on bail.

Jack Cicilline, Giraldo's lawyer, argued for his release, saying that Giraldo has permanent-residence status and had no previous arrests since arriving in this country from Colombia 17 years ago.

"This is a single incident that the government is alleging in this case," Cicilline said. "If he is involved at all, it's simply at arm's length."

John M. Cicilline also made a pitch for Vasquez's release. He noted that she has no prior criminal history and has lived in Rhode Island for almost 20 years.

Cicilline identified the DEA informant as Vasquez's former husband, whom he said she recently divorced.

William Weinreb, an assistant U.S. Attorney in Boston, countered that Giraldo and Vasquez were not novices in the drug trade. He argued that evidence gathered by the DEA shows that they had worked with large quantities of cocaine and money. He also accused Giraldo of engaging in "counter-surveillance efforts."

Weinreb also told the court that, on April 5, Vasquez and a companion were stopped at Miami International Airport with about $173,000 in cash. He said that Vasquez had about $105,000 hidden in her girdle, while the companion was carrying the rest of the money. During questioning, Weinreb said that Vasquez told agents that the money belonged to her brother, Juan Giraldo, and she was going to Colombia to buy a house.

Weinreb also told the court that a "drug dog" detected cocaine on the wrapping that sealed the money and that Juan Giraldo's fingerprint had been lifted from the wrapping.

Judge Magistrate Robert W. Lovegreen was troubled by the defense arguments that Giraldo and Vasquez were novices in the drug trade. He questioned how an interpreter could accumulate large amounts of cash and live in a pricey home in East Greenwich.

Records from the East Greenwich tax assessor's office show that, in January 2001, Giraldo paid $401,270 for a condominium at 25 Field Stone Drive.

Lovegreen, who reviewed DEA transcripts in his chamber, concluded that Giraldo was a "major player in the drug trade."

"These transcripts," Lovegreen said, "are, in my opinion, devastating." He ordered Giraldo and Vasquez held without bail.

After the hearing, John F. Cicilline was asked how Giraldo accounted for the large sums of cash and his lifestyle. He said that Giraldo worked hard as an interpreter and had plenty of success at the blackjack tables at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut.

"He was a pretty good gambler," Cicilline said. "He was pretty successful."


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Police Seize Two Large Loads of Marijuana

Police Seize Two Large Loads of Marijuana

Tuesday June 22, 2004 12:35pm

Hope (AP) - State officials have confiscated about one and a half tons of marijuana on two separate busts in the past week.

U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration officials are investigating whether there's a link between the two busts.

Saturday evening, the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department's police found more than two thousand pounds of the drug inside a tractor-trailer near Hope on Interstate 30.

The truck's driver, 25-year-old Jose Trevino of Roma, Texas, is in the Hempstead County Jail Tuesday awaiting arraignment.

On Friday, state police found 970 pounds of marijuana in a horse trailer on Interstate 40 in Forrest City. The driver, 22-year-old Jason Bradley Boykin of Avalon, Texas, is in St. Francis County Jail Tuesday on a $100,00 bond

Original Article
 
Police Bust Suspected Meth Lab

Anderson Police Bust Suspected Meth Lab
June 23, 2004


An Anderson father and his son are suspected of running a meth lab out of the father's Madison County home. Police say the methamphetamine lab is the first-ever found in their city.

"I just wish I never picked that stuff up and brought it here," said suspect Henry Watson.

That “stuff” is ingredients to make methamphetamine. Watson says he's innocent, but he and his 19-year old son, Anthony, are accused of running one of the largest meth labs in the county.

"It was in my garage and I had it here 14 hours, if that," continued Watson.

His Anderson home is the center of a meth lab investigation. Police say they found the set-up in Watson's garage after a police officer smelled ether.

"For him to smell that odor -- the officer -- they had to be in the process of cooking something or preparing it. Ether is very strong," said Sgt. William Casey of the Anderson Police Department.

Watson -- who is out of jail on bond -- told News 8 that he was looking for property to buy and that's when he got the supplies from a farm.

"I thought it was worth some money. I didn't know what it was."

Police were tipped off from by Wal-mart employee who said Anthony Watson and a 17-year old female bought an excessive amount of Sudafed, which police say is a key ingredient in making meth. Police say people are only allowed to buy three boxes of Sudafed or cold medicine with ephedrine in it during a certain period of time.

"My son has allergies. We do yard work. He went to Wal-mart and got some cold pills," argued Watson.

“They put us all on the kitchen floor. They come on in through about 3 o'clock in the morning and said they could smell a strong odor,” explained Watson of their arrest.

"You had the propane, different types of gases, stuff that you could use when you're in the process of making meth,” countered Casey. “You take a meth lab in the city [and] you take a big risk as far as explosions of ether and the ammonia. So folks in rural areas have places, little buildings they can put their stuff in and make their drugs away from their home and other people."

Police say it was an elaborate set-up, including instructions on how to make the drug.

"It had a bunch of stuff in these tubs, these tanks. I didn't know what was in it. You know, I guess I was just curious to what it was and what was in it. I didn't even know what meth was," argued Watson

Police say both father and son have no prior police record. They are out of jail on $20,000 bond each.

Police say their charges include dealing meth and operating an illegal drug lab. If convicted, they each could face up to 20 years in prison.

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Navy pilot gets four years for smuggling ecstasy

Navy pilot gets four years for smuggling ecstasy
BY ELAINE WILSON, Anacortes American
June 23, 2004

A former Navy lieutenant and resident of Anacortes who used his position as a pilot with an elite air unit to smuggle the party drug ecstasy into the United States was sentenced last week to four years in prison.

"This case is a shame," said Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald J. Friedman in a sentencing memorandum.

"Alan Vaughn, 29 years old, had a promising career in the Navy as an officer and a pilot, for which he had worked long and hard to achieve, and has now lost due to his involvement with drugs."

Vaughn was given an "other than honorable" discharge from the Navy and ordered to forfeit a 1997 Honda Accord and a 2004 Mercedes Benz that he used to transport the drugs, according to Emily Langlie, public affairs officer for the U.S. Attorney's office.

Vaughn was arrested on Feb. 21, when Customs officials at the Blaine Peach Arch border crossing found a bag containing about half a pound of white powder concealed under his shirt, according to court documents filed by the U.S. Attorney on Feb. 23.

"There was enough for well over 1,000 doses," Langlie said. The street value of the ecstasy was about $20 per dose, according to the charging document.

"He presented his military credentials at the border, believing his status would facilitate his entry. Unbeknownst to him, border inspectors had already received a tip that he would be crossing with drugs," Friedman said.
Vaughn's arrest followed a two-month investigation by agents of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency and the Navy Criminal Investigative Service, officials said.

After a Miranda warning, Vaughn admitted that he was smuggling ecstasy into the United States and that he had successfully smuggled it from Canada on at least one prior occasion, according to the charging document. He later pleaded guilty to a felony count of importation of ecstasy, Langlie said.

Friedman said that Vaughn started as an ecstasy user and then began trafficking in the drug to earn quick extra money.

Vaughn had been assigned to administrative duties with Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing 10 at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island since May 2002, according to Lt. Anne Cossitt, public affairs officer for the U.S. Navy's Western Command.

Prior to that, Vaughn flew P3-C Orion reconnaissance planes with one of the wing's operations units, she said.

Friedman said it was hard to understand why someone with so much would risk it all for so little.

"Even after meeting with Mr. Vaughn at the Federal Detention Center and hearing his explanations, it is still difficult to understand," he said.

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Re: Police Bust Suspected Meth Lab

Edge80 said:
[ Police say people are only allowed to buy three boxes of Sudafed or cold medicine with ephedrine in it during a certain period of time.

wtf? i never knew this. Does anyone know whats the maximun amout your allowed to buy? or how long you have to wait untill you buy more?
 
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I was with my mom while she was buiing a bunch of shit for us and to give to my bro to take to college, and wallmart hassled her about buying all the cold medicine, she didn't understand why, when we were leaving I explained to her that the stuff could be used to make meth...believe it or not this was before I was really into drugs, I just had alot of knowledge :)
 
Agent may have let drugs into U.S. for year, FBI says

Agent may have let drugs into U.S. for year, FBI says
Area crime: inspector formally charged

Friday, June 25, 2004
Louie Gilot
El Paso Times

Victor Calzada / El Paso Times

Federal officers walked customs inspector Gerardo Diaz, center, to the federal courthouse Thursday.

Gerardo Diaz, the customs inspector who was arrested Wednesday for allegedly turning a blind eye to a shipment of cocaine passing through his lane at the Zaragoza Bridge on June 11, might have been waving drug cargos through for at least a year and a half, FBI officials said.

Diaz, 43, appeared before U.S. District Judge Richard P. Mesa on Thursday afternoon to hear his charges read to him -- conspiracy to import over 5 kilograms of cocaine and bribery, which could send him to prison from 10 years to life.

Diaz started as a customs agent about eight years ago, officials of Customs and Border Protection said. He was paid about $37,500 a year, plus overtime. He allegedly received $6,000 for his illegal work June 11.

FBI officials said that they had been investigating Diaz since early last year on suspicion of corruption but that he was "extremely savvy and careful in dealing with intermediaries and avoiding surveillance," FBI spokesman Art Werge said.

Corrupt agents who operate at international crossings usually meet with drug dealers in advance and tell them which lane to cross in, what time to cross and how to mark their vehicle, Werge said.

In March, another inspector at the Zaragoza Bridge was arrested for allegedly allowing undocumented women into the United States in exchange for sexual favors.

Anyone with information on Diaz may call the FBI at 832-5000.
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Ex-police chief held for allegedly trafficking cocaine

Ex-police chief held for allegedly trafficking cocaine

June 23.2004

MIAMI (AP) — The former director general of Haiti's national police was ordered held until trial on charges he took bribes to protect Colombian cocaine heading to the United States.

Despite pledges of more than $500,000 in bail money from relatives, U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrea Simonton said Tuesday that Jean Nesly Lucien's wealth and a potential 30 years to life sentence upon conviction were "a powerful incentive for him to flee."

The drug conspiracy charge filed against Lucien last month was based on information from a convicted drug trafficker and two former Haitian officials who allege Lucien profited by keeping U.S. drug agents from intercepting planes filled with Colombian cocaine. Lucien's lawyer dismissed the reports as sketchy and unreliable.

Lucien, 33, was arrested May 28 after flying to Boston for his daughter's high school graduation.

He worked for Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide before he was ousted in 1991, and again after Aristide returned to power. He's one of five Aristide loyalists held on U.S. charges since Aristide went into exile Feb. 29.

Lucien's indictment is expected before a scheduled arraignment July 7.

LInk
 
93 arrested, drugs grabbed after 4-month probe

93 arrested, drugs grabbed after 4-month probe


By RITA BAUER The Sunday News Staff Writer June 26, 2004




Tullahoma police narcotics investigators and the Coffee County District Attorney General's Office Drug Task Force ended a four-month-long undercover drug dealing operation Friday.

Tullahoma police narcotics investigators and the Coffee County District Attorney General's Office Drug Task Force ended a four-month-long undercover drug dealing operation Friday with the arrests of at least 93 persons and the confiscation of a large variety of illegal drugs.

The seized drugs ranged from crack cocaine and methamphetamine to the prescription pain killer oxycontin.
The drugs, with a street value of more than $23,000, were purchased at various locations in Tullahoma by an undercover police officer certified with the U.S. Department of Justice Drug Task Force, who posed as a drug abuser to make the "buys," Tullahoma Police Narcotics Investigator Brent Perry said.
The alleged drug dealers arrested Friday range in age from 18 to 70, according to Perry. They are expected to be indicted on 187 different drug related offenses with arraignments scheduled for later this month in Coffee County Circuit Court.
"Those arrested were mostly dealing in crack cocaine and meth. Other drugs are involved, but those are the two main ones," Perry said.
"Drugs were being sold all over town, anywhere from residential neighborhoods to housing projects, in bars and at a local restaurant.
"Besides buying drugs, undercover officers also bought guns with dope, and there will be federal charges against some individuals for having guns in their possession while selling drugs," he added.
The undercover officer involved in most of the cases said pre-planning and cooperation between all of the law enforcement officials involved were essential to making the operation successful and safe.
"We had a suspect who had a gun while we were buying the drugs, so we did have some kind of hairy situations," he said. "But the Tullahoma Police Department, and especially Brent Perry and Earl Morse, along with Chad Partin of the 18th Judicial Drug Task Force and all of the surrounding law enforcement agencies involved did an excellent job on the entire operation."
"This is one of the largest undercover operations to take place here in recent times," Tullahoma Police Narcotics Investigator Earl Morse said.
"We'd like to express our appreciation for all the assistance we received from the surrounding law enforcement agencies. The reason we use so many officers to conduct this type of operation and make all of the arrests is so that we can try to do it safely for those being arrested and for us."
Tullahoma police and the Drug Task Force unit were assisted in the "round-up" of the nearly 100 persons arrested Friday by the Coffee, Franklin and Moore County Sheriff's Departments, Manchester and Lavergne Police Departments, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Tennessee Highway Patrol, Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission and the Veteran's Administration.
A total of 56 officers from those law enforcement agencies were involved in arresting the suspects throughout Friday afternoon, Perry said.
All of those arrested were taken to the Tullahoma Police Department for processing, then transported to the Coffee County Jail, resulting in an overload of the jail's 196-inmate capacity. Sheriff Steve Graves reported as many as 250 inmates were being housed at the jail following the arrests Friday.
As Tullahoma Mayor Steve Cope said in a statement, the arrests were "the culmination of more than 4 months of good undercover law enforcement work.
"This was a joint operation" among the agencies mentioned, Cope added, and "several (arrested) were repeat offenders. Defendants involved in the arrests are a broad cross-section of the local population."
Cope cited Detective Brent Perry and Detective Earl Morse, and "a big thank you goes to Officer Nick Watson as well. This is the third time that Nick has worked undercover here and he has been an invaluable asset to the fight against illegal drugs in Tullahoma, Coffee County and the surrounding area.
"Coffee County has a strong support group in law enforcement beginning with District Attorney Mickey Layne, and the Drug Task Force, led by Agent Billy Cook. Sheriff Steve Graves and his staff have been great to support Tullahoma as well. Chief J. C. Ferrell and Captain Ron Cunningham have provided leadership and oversight to the operation.
"Tullahoma wishes to express its appreciation to all of these agencies for their assistance with this critical effort. These men and women put their lives in danger every day to protect and serve our Community. I have personally seen these officers in action and they are dedicated to their work. They not only work here, they live here and are raising their families here," Cope added.
"This is one of the largest round-ups in Tullahoma's history and is a testament to the excellence of the Tullahoma Police Department and their dedication to protecting our Community and making it a safer place to live and raise our families."



Here
 
Justice cited for marijuana possession
Jackson County might reassign his staff to a new court
The Associated Press
June 27, 2004

A justice of the peace was cited for possession of a small amount of marijuana, leaving the Gold Hill Justice Court at loose ends.

Justice Robert Henry King faces a noncriminal charge of possession of less than one ounce of marijuana, filed in Jackson County Circuit Court on Thursday.

Although King remains on the county’s payroll, his workload was drastically reduced after Sheriff Mike Winters decided to reroute his department’s citations from the Gold Hill Justice Court to state Circuit Court in Medford. Winters gave no specific reason for taking his noncriminal cases out of King’s court, saying that he felt it was “an integrity issue.”

Even if the court has virtually no caseload, the county still has to pay King, deputy county administrator Dave Kanner said. The 59-year-old justice works part time and is paid about $36,000 per year. His salary is fixed for the next year.

The county likely has no legal authority to close Justice Court but is considering reassigning King’s staff to a court scheduled to open in Central Point next month, Kanner said. The county’s Southern Justice Court was created in March to handle citations written by a group of sheriff’s deputies who deal solely with traffic enforcement. Winters formed the new traffic group after hearing that the county had a high rate of death and injury caused by auto crashes.

King was not available for comment. A voice recording on his answering machine said that King is on vacation, Kanner said.

Link
 
Kan. Authorities Find $2 Million Drug Stash

Kan. Authorities Find $2 Million Drug Stash


Discovery Made After Car Chase, Crash

POSTED: 8:54 pm CDT June 28, 2004
UPDATED: 9:01 pm CDT June 28, 2004

WILSON, Kan. -- Russell County authorities say they've found about $2 million worth of illegal drugs, including 69,000 tablets of Ecstasy.

The drugs were discovered Sunday after a chase that began 10 miles west of the Wilson exit on Interstate 70. The chase ended in a crash that sent two people to area hospitals.

The Russell County Sheriff's Department says a deputy pulled over the car for a minor traffic violation. The driver of the car gave the deputy permission to search the vehicle, but the driver then sped off while the car was being searched, authorities said.

The deputy pursued the car, which later ran off the highway and rolled several times.

The driver and a passenger were thrown from the car and taken to hospitals.
Link
 
Haitian drug cop charged with bribery, conspiracy

Posted on Mon, Jun. 28, 2004





Haitian drug cop charged with bribery, conspiracy

BY ANN W. O'NEILL

South Florida Sun-Sentinel


(KRT) - Evintz Brillant, once Haiti's top drug cop, pleaded innocent Monday to charges of scheming with another top Haitian police official to import cocaine into the United States.

Brillant, 33, was a member of the Haitian National Police for nine years and once was seen as a man on the rise. He was being groomed to replace Rudy Therassan, chief of investigations.

Now both men are fighting charges that could send them to prison for the rest of their lives.

Brillant, 33, surrendered last month at the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince in connection with a wide-ranging U.S. probe of drugs, money and corruption. He was among five Haitian government and police officials arrested since President Jean-Bertrand Aristide left the country Feb. 29.

Court documents allege that as Haiti's top drug officer, Brillant was thoroughly corrupted by the cocaine and money that passed through the island between Colombia and the United States.

According to an affidavit filed prior to his indictment, Brillant stopped and arrested drug traffickers to shake them down for bribes. He allegedly participated in a $450,000 seizure at the Port-au-Prince airport; police returned the drug money after skimming off $150,000.

Several former Haitian police and drug traffickers are cooperating with a U.S. investigation of Haitian officials who allegedly took payoffs to protect Colombian cocaine heading to Miami.

According to court affidavits, a convicted Haitian cocaine trafficker later identified in court as Beaudouin "Jacques" Kentant has identified Brillant as a member of his organization, placing him and other police officials at his villa for strategy sessions.

here
 
found about $2 million worth of illegal drugs, including 69,000 tablets of Ecstasy.



*DROOL*



HF
 
Customs seize $4.3million in Cocaine

Customs seize $4.3million in Cocaine

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers working at the El Paso Port of Entry seized 145.5 pounds of cocaine this weekend. Officers seized the drugs in two separate incidents at the Paso del Norte bridge in the span of 24 hours. CBP EL Paso port director said, "The dedication of our officers is being reflected in the huge increase in the amount of cocaine seizures being made at the El Paso port."

The larger of the two seizures occurred Saturday afternoon as a CBP officer selected a 2003 Toyota Camry for further inspection because the driver was extremely nervous. CBP drug sniffing dog "Sandy" searched the car and alerted inspectors to floor. A total of 37 cocaine-filled bundles weighing nearly 90 pounds were removed.

A 55.8 pound seizure was made late Sunday morning, as CBP officer observed "anomalies" in the appearance of the 1989 Dodge Ram and sent the truck to the secondary inspection area. During the secondary inspection, CBP drug sniffing dog "Merlin" alerted officers to the gas tank. Officers removed the tank and found two containers with the cocaine bundles.

The approximate combined value of the seized drugs is $4.5million. Since the beginning of 2004, CBP officers have seized over 2,500 pounds of cocaine in 52 incidents.
Link
 
Football leads to drug bust

Football leads to drug bust
By Craig Boerner, [email protected]
June 30, 2004

Drug suspect Tommy Strong was tossing a blue and white Nerf football in the air near Sam Levy Homes on Saturday morning but all indications are that he wasn’t looking for a game of catch. Metro police say hidden inside was 23.1 grams of crack and powder cocaine.

East Precinct officers Chad Holman and Randall Papadinec were doing their routine patrols in separate vehicles when they first noticed Strong, 40, and his football. The suspect saw them and got out of sight, according to police.

“We hang around that area and try to weed everything out and we noticed this guy trolling around,” Holman said. “Every time he would see us he would just stop what he was doing and turn around and walk the other way. It raised our suspicions, obviously.”

Holman said the Sam Levy Homes are pretty much vacant due to impending renovation although “a lot of the crackheads have been breaking in the doors and using them for big party palaces.”

“We are very vigilant about watching public housing, attempting to keep people who don’t belong there out of there,” Metro Police spokesman Don Aaron said. “For a long time we have had problems with persons who don’t belong in public housing causing the problems in public housing.”

Thirty minutes after the first sighting the officers encountered Strong again, this time crossing Lischey Avenue.

They stopped the suspect to engage him in a conversation, asking his name and whether he was carrying any drugs.

“He dropped the football and I thought he dropped something else in the bushes,” Holman said. “He left the football about 15 feet from where he was standing. I asked his name and he told me and I said ‘have you got anything on you?’ and he pulled a crack pipe out of his right pocket and said ‘that’s it, that’s all I’ve got’ but he started acting real nervous.”

The officers knew they had Strong on paraphernalia charges so they cuffed him because they sensed he was about to take off running. Officer Papadinec ran the suspect for warrants and learned he had a warrant for his arrest on file for trespassing in the same place.

Holman said, after searching the bushes, it was time to get back to business but admits that he never would have guessed the football he was about to pick up contained the evidence.

“I think I was going to toss it to myself and I just felt something shaking and I thought that doesn’t seem right,” he said.

“[The suspect] had torn it or ripped it so good that you could hardly see where it had been opened. I started prying around and right where the laces on the football are I peeled it apart and inside was 23.1 grams, maybe a little bit bigger than a golf ball.”

Strong was charged with possession of cocaine for resale, criminal trespassing, possession of drug paraphernalia and failure to be booked on a prior trespassing citation. His bond was set at $21,000.

Holman said the street value of the drugs came to $5,000.

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