U.S. Department of Justice
Drug Enforcement Administration
DEA Highlights - 1995

DEA Highlights
1995

Introduction

The year 1995 will be remembered as an historic period in international and domestic drug law enforcement. With the arrest of six of the seven top leaders of the Cali mafia, and with the possible unraveling of the Shan United Army’s dominance of the global heroin enterprise, significant enforcement gains against the world’s most notorious drug traffickers were realized. While the full impact of these international enforcement actions is still to be felt in the United States, significant inroads have also been made against some of the largest drug trafficking organizations operating domestically. During the first half of FY 1995, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) arrests increased by almost 18% over the same time period in FY 1994.

This past year, the DEA also made important advances in the areas of integrity assurance, recruitment and selection of Special Agents, training of the DEA workforce, and internal inspections to anticipate problems and take corrective actions in a timely manner.

Looking forward, 1996 promises many challenges as law enforcement pressure is focused on major trafficking organizations from Mexico, and as federal, state and local law enforcement work together to address a new epidemic of methamphetamine, as well as to continue international efforts against heroin trafficking organizations.

The Cali Mafia Arrests

The arrest of six of the seven top Cali drug lords this summer represented a real blow to the most sophisticated organized crime syndicate in history. Having operated with virtual impunity in Colombia for the past 15 years, the Cali mafia’s reach and influence extended into many nations, including the United States. Numerous homicides in the United States, including the murder of the editor of El Diario in 1992 and an innocent businessman in Baltimore in 1991 were the calling card of the Cali mafia. In fact, this summer, good police work in Memphis, Tennessee, led to the apprehension of assassins sent specifically by the Cali mafia leaders to murder individuals who had not paid their drug debt.

The Cali mafia’s annual profits were estimated at between $4 and $8 billion a year, and the organization operated like a well-run multinational business with Cali mafia leaders micro-managing business decisions in Colombia and in the United States. They were able to run their global enterprise through a sophisticated system of telephones, faxes, pagers and computers, and employed an intelligence network that rivalled those of most developing nations. The Cali drug lords controlled the Cali airport, the taxi system and the phone company. They knew who came and went in Cali, who talked to the police, and who was cooperating with U.S. law enforcement agencies.

Despite the massive and unprecedented levels of influence the Cali mafia wielded, the Colombian National Police (CNP), in cooperation with the DEA and other U.S. agencies, tracked down the mafia leaders and brought them to justice. The CNP’s job was not easy; at great personal risk, their leader, General Serrano, committed himself and his troops to the almost herculean task of locating and arresting the mafia heads who took advantage of a sytem of safehouses and hiding places to evade arrest. Within just a few months, the Cali mafia leadership was captured, or surrendered to Colombian authorities.

Gilberto Rodriguez-Orejuela:

On June 9, Gilberto Rodriguez- Orejuela was captured in an apartment in Cali, Colombia by an elite unit of the Colombian National Police working with the DEA and the U.S. intelligence community. Gilberto Rodriguez-Orejuela was responsible for the long-range strategic planning for the Cali mafia and was indicted in the United States numerous times, most recently in May 1995, in the Southern District of Florida.

Henry Loaiza-Ceballos:

He surrended to Colombian authorities on June 19. Loaiza-Ceballos was responsible for the military apparatus of the Cali mafia.

Victor Julio Patino-Fomeque:

Late in June, Victor Julio Patino- Fomeque surrendered to the Colombian military in Bogota. He was a former member of the CNP, and headed smuggling operations in Buenaventura for the major Cali drug lords.

Julian Murcillo Posada:

Arrested by the Colombian National Police, Julian Murcillo Posada was one of the inner circle of Miguel Rodriguez-Orejuela.

Jose Santa Cruz-Londono:

During the evening of July 4, the Colombian National Police located and arrested Jose “Chepe” Santa Cruz-Londono in a Bogota restaurant. His organization had a significant impact on the cocaine trade in the United States, particularly in New York and the Northeast, into which huge shipments were brought. The organization also established cocaine processing laboratories in the region that were dismantled by DEA in conjunction with state and local authorities. Santa Cruz-Londono selectively relied on violence when needed, as evidenced by the execution-style murder of the Colombian journalist Manuel del Dios-Unanue in Jackson Heights, New York.

Phanor Arizabaleta-Arzayua:

On July 8, Phanor Arizabalets- Arzayua, considered a minor player in the Cali mafia, surrendered in Bogota to the Administrative Department of Security.

Miguel Rodriguez-Orejuela:

On August 6, Miguel Rodriguez-Orejuela—one of the top leaders of the Cali mafia and brother of Gilberto Rodriguez-Orejuela—was arrested by the Colombian National Police during a house raid in Cali, Colombia. He was the transportation specialist for the Cali mafia and was under indictment in the United States on a number of charges.

Helmer “Pacho” Herrera:

Only one of the Cali mafia leaders, Helmer “Pacho” Herrera is still at large. He has run a number of Cali mafia “cells” in the United States, and was responsible for a large, active cell in New York that was dismantled by the DEA in 1991. Like the other members of the Cali mafia, Herrera is under indictment in the United States, most recently in the Southern District of Florida in 1995.

The significance of these arrests cannot be overstated. The Cali drug lords who are now behind bars ran the most sophisticated international organized crime syndicate in history, and they rivalled the power and influence of the traditional organized crime families operating at their peak in the United States during the 1960s and 1970s. The DEA’s years of tenacious investigative work and the deep commitment of the CNP, particularly General Jose Serrrano, laid the groundwork for dismantling the Cali mafia.

But police work alone could not have brought the mafia down. Developments during the first half of 1995 gave the Colombian National Police the context in which they could effectively strike out against the Cali mafia. The turning point in the struggle against the Cali mafia occured simultaneously with the U.S. Government’s decision not to fully certify the Government of Colombia during the annual certification process in March. When the President withheld full approval of the Colombian Government’s performance on narcotics control for the first time since the certification process has been in force, and with months of Congressional scrutiny of Colombia’s slow progress on arresting major drug mafia leaders, Colombian Government leaders began to act decisively against the Cali group.

The influence of the Cali mafia reached into some of the highest levels of the Colombian Government; since the arrests of the top Cali leadership, Defense Minister Botero, the former campaign manager for President Samper, has been arrested and jailed for soliciting campaign contributions from drug traffickers to finance the presidential campaign.

The Mafia in our own Backyard:

The influence and power of the Cali mafia is not confined to Colombia and Mexico; during 1995, there were a number of significant developments that graphically illustrated the depth and breadth of the Cali mafia network within the United States.

In June 1995, after a 4-year investigation, the DEA and the U.S. Customs Service indicted 62 individuals on drug conspiracy charges. In what is called the "Cornerstone" case, Cali mafia operatives in the United States, including attorneys in Miami, were charged with conducting business for the Rodriguez- Orejuela brothers, Santa Cruz- Londono and Helmer Herrera-Buitrago.

In many instances, the Cali mafia conducted financial operations within the United States, depending on front companies and other money laundering techniques to disguise the source of their profits. In phase two of a complex money laundering investigation called "Operation Green Ice," the DEA worked with other federal, state and local agencies to target the illegal uses of casas de cambio (money exchanges) along the Southwest Border, shut down businesses laundering drug proceeds for the Cali mafia, and created businesses posing as money laundering organizations through which the mafia laundered their funds. This March, the second phase of the operation concluded; 50 defendants were arrested and $155 million was seized.

The Cali mafia’s influence, however, has not been limited to white-collar businesses. Within the United States, Cali mafia surrogates (members of home-grown violent drug gangs) have turned many communities into virtual war zones. Violent drug traffickers who operated in cities and towns from Michigan to Texas to California joined the Cali mafia leaders as targets of the DEA in 1995.

Homicide rates in a surprising number of U.S. cities have risen dramatically and can be directly correlated to the epidemic of drug trafficking.

In one significant investigation against the Emanuel Lacy and Anthony Flowers organization, which was responsible for more than 30 murders in the Oakland, California area, the DEA worked with the FBI, INS, U.S. Marshals Service and the Oakland Police Department to dismantle this violent cocaine trafficking organization.

In another major case, the DEA worked this August with other federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to dismantle the Larry Hoover organization (the Black Gangster Disciples Nation) in Chicago. When Hoover continued to run a drug trafficking and money laundering operation from the Vienna Correctional Center, he was removed from that prison, and 40 of his senior Black Gangster Disciple Nation officials were arrested.

Mobile Enforcement Teams:

The epidemic of violent drug crimes in so many communities across the nation required an aggressive response from the Drug Enforcement Administration. Building on the concept of state and local task forces, through which the DEA works with state and local law enforcement to maximize impact, the DEA established and strategically deployed Mobile Enforcement Teams (METs) to a number of communities plagued by violent drug crimes in 1995. Invited into communities by local police chiefs, sheriffs, or district attorneys, METs are composed of 12 specially-trained DEA agents and provide a resource whereby a violent drug dealer is specifically targeted for his drug trafficking activities. By dismantling the drug organizations and removing the perpetrators from the street, law enforcment can make a significant impact on the violence level in the community. Since April 1995, the DEA has deployed METs to 24 communities across America to dismantle violent drug gangs who traffic in crack, cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine. Many of these gangs are connected to large, well-organized gangs that operate nationally. Some highlights of the MET program include:

Galveston, Texas:
During 1994, this area experienced the homicide of 26 juveniles, making Galveston the number one Texas county for juvenile murders. The large homicide rate was attributed to the drug trafficking activities of three gangs—the Bloods, the Crips and the Latin Kings. In December, a DEA Houston MET concluded a 6-month deployment that led to the arrest of 95 gang members for drug trafficking and related violent crimes, the dismantling of the leading cocaine distribution organizations, and the indictment of Colombian cocaine suppliers.

Ypsilanti, Michigan:
Crips and Bloods were responsible for a number of drive-by shootings in public housing areas in this Detroit suburb. In conjunction with MET activities in July and September, search warrants resulted in the seizure of six loaded shotguns, an AR-15 assault rifle with two 50-round magazines, and two pipe bombs.

Colombus, Georgia:
In response to a dramatic increase in violent drug trafficking, MET assistance was requested. Over 50 defendants were arrested, including members of the Crips, Bloods and Folk Raiders organizations.

Worcester, Massachusetts:
Increases in crack, heroin and cocaine trafficking in the Worcester area led to increased violence. Traffickers from a number of countries, including the Dominican Republic, Vietnam, Cuba, and Panama worked with local traffickers to supply drugs and commit violent acts. The MET arrived in August and arrested 23 defendants who will be tried in federal court.

Other cities where the DEA’s Mobile Enforcement Teams operated during 1995 include:

Selma, Alabama;
Sikeston, Missouri;
Manassas, Virginia;
Onancock, Virginia;
Arlington, Texas; and
Denver, Colorado.

Violent drug crimes continue to plague communities across the nation, despite the fact that nationwide crime rates are dropping. None of the violent drug crimes in American communities would be committed without the direct and indirect complicity of major international drug trafficking syndicates, including the Cali mafia and major drug traffickers from Mexico. Of particular interest is the recent increase in homicides in Queens, New York, which some law enforcement officials tie to disruption and lack of discipline within the Cali mafia since the arrests of the Cali leadership.

Other Developments:

The predecessor of the Cali mafia, the Medellin cartel, was also responsible for violence and murder both in Colombia and in the United States. In May, 1995, Dandeny Munoz-Mosquera, a top assassin for Pablo Escobar, was sentenced to 10 life sentences in the Eastern District of New York for his role in the 1989 bombing of an Avianca jetliner.

Other major cocaine traffickers were arrested in this hemisphere: Hector Luis Palma -Salazar, one of the world’s most violent drug traffickers was arrested along with seven other traffickers from Mexico in Guadalajara in June, 1995. He is believed to be behind several highly-publicized killings, including that of Cardinal Juan Posados-Ocampo. And, Peru’s Cachique-Rivera was arrested in Colombia and expelled to Peru in June, 1995.

Heroin Trafficking Organizations:

In late 1995, Khun Sa, the world’s most notorious drug warlord announced that he would retire from his leadership position in the Shan United Army (SUA) that is responsible for the majority of the world’s heroin produced and trafficked. A major blow to his organization was struck in late 1994 and early 1995 when 11 of his top lieutenants were arrested by the DEA and Thai Royal Government police working along the Thai/Burma border. These 11 traffickers, who formed the leadership infrastrcuture of the SUA trafficking organization, are awaiting extradition to the United States. Whether Khun Sa’s "retirement" actually occurs is yet to be seen in 1996, but what is certain is the impact that these arrests have had on his heroin operations.

During 1995, several other major heroin traffickers were extradited to the United States to stand trial. In April, Pakistan extradited Haji Mirza Mohammad Iqbal Baig and Mohammed Anwar Khan Khattak. The Baig organization was involved in all facets of the heroin and hashish trade. Last summer, Pakistan also extradited Tariq Waheed Butt, Baig’s brother in law and chief lieutenant, to face drug trafficking charges in New York’s Eastern District.

Building Public Trust:

1995 was a difficult year for federal law enforcement agencies, and for police officials across the nation. Several widely publicized incidents gave the American public reason to question the integrity and commitment of some law enforcement officers, and called into question the decision-making process that federal law enforcement agencies use in major operations. Exacerbating this difficult situation were charges that representatives of federal law enforcement organizations participated in racist activities at the "Good Old Boys Roundup" in Tennessee during previous years.

The DEA, mindful of the need to ensure the highest standards of conduct for its employees, and recognizing the perception by many Americans that law enforcement organizations cannot effectively deal with integrity problems, continued an aggressive program to identify and address problems. Improvements were made in three areas impacting the DEA’s ability to maintain the highest standards and to provide the best federal drug law enforcement possible: first, recruitment and hiring; second, internal inspections and discipline; and third, training.

Special Agent Recruitment, Hiring and Training:

For the first time in several years, the DEA was able to hire Special Agents thanks to an increased appropriation in Fiscal Year 1995. In order to ensure that the American people were receiving the best possible federal drug law enforcement, the DEA believed it was essential to recruit and select the best candidates to become DEA Special Agents. Only the most qualified candidates with the highest ethical standards are being hired. As part of the enhanced process, every candidate who receives a tentative job offer is now required to undergo a polygraph examination. Domestic field agents also perform in-depth background investigations on candidates, and in the future, a psychological screening program will be added. The Basic Agent training curriculum has been extended and now includes a strong emphasis on ethics, along with the operational and tactical elements that are essential to Special Agent training. An aggressive recruitment and hiring campaign will be carried into 1996.

Internal Inspections and Discipline:

Building on many of the improvements that were made to DEA’s internal inspections and discipline process, additional improvements were made in 1995. During the past year, the DEA’s Office of Inspections developed, implemented and managed the DEA’s self-inspection program that is designed to enable DEA managers to identify and correct problems before they become significant. The self-inspection program further reinforces DEA managers’ responsibility for overseeing all aspects of their operations, and gives them the tools they need to carry out these responsibilities.

The system for investigating allegations of wrong-doing and determining appropriate discipline for DEA employees has also been streamlined to ensure expeditious and comprehensive actions on the part of DEA investigators. Ethics training for all DEA employees is being provided through in-service training, and senior DEA managers are given annual ethics and integrity training.

Training:

During 1995, the DEA reviewed all aspects of its training program and made a number of important changes to ensure that DEA employees met the challenges of drug enforcement in the coming years. Improvements were made in three areas: Basic Agent training, in-service training for DEA employees, and the articulation of a rational career development plan for all supervisors and managers. With special emphasis on ethics and integrity, these training improvements will ensure that Basic Agents and other DEA personnel will receive appropriate training throughout their careers to provide the necessary skills to allow them to effectively meet the challenges of drug law enforcement into the next century.