US anti-drug swoop arrests American Airlines staff

derg

Apparently a "terse" writer
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First the "large southern-US based airline" employee running guns on buddy passes out of Orlando, now this? Sheesh!

* Nine American Airlines employees among those arrested

* Accused of sending cocaine-filled cases to United States

* Indictment names 23 accused, 21 in custody

* Almost all arrests in Puerto Rico, one in Miami (Recasts, adds details of indictment, quotes from officials)

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, Sept 15 (Reuters) - U.S. agents arrested 21 people, nine of them American Airlines (AMR.N) employees, accused of smuggling suitcases loaded with cocaine on flights from Puerto Rico to the United States, authorities said on Tuesday.

The accused, 20 of whom were detained in Puerto Rico and one in Miami, were charged with a conspiracy to distribute more than 9,000 kg (19,800 pounds) of cocaine aboard American Airlines commercial flights, according to an indictment released by the U.S. Attorney for the U.S. Caribbean territory.

The operation involved the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Puerto Rico Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Of the 23 suspects named in the indictment, 21 were detained by mid-morning on Tuesday, DEA officials said. The two remaining suspects were being sought in San Juan.

"With these arrests the DEA closes another route for thousands of kilograms of cocaine to reach the United States or any other part of the world from Puerto Rico," DEA Special Agent in Charge Javier Pena said in a statement.

The indictment alleged the ringleader of the trafficking ring, American Airlines employee Wilfredo Rodriguez-Rosado, had since 1999 recruited and organized a group of fellow airline employees to smuggle suitcases loaded with cocaine onto American Airlines aircraft bound for different cities in the continental United States.

"THREAT TO NATIONAL SECURITY"

Prosecutors said members of the group worked together to fill suitcases with cocaine and, taking advantage of their position as American Airlines employees, smuggle them from the airline's cargo area at San Juan's Luis Munoz Marin International Airport aboard flights to the United States.

Minnette Velez, spokeswoman for American Airlines in San Juan, which is the airline's transport hub for the Caribbean, confirmed that company employees had been arrested.

"Whenever the authorities bring a situation like this to our attention, we work with them. That was the case here," she said.

American Airlines issued a statement saying: "As a company, we hope that the actions of a few employees don't reflect negatively on the tens of thousands of ethical American Airlines employees who work hard to serve the public daily."

If convicted, the defendants face a minimum of 10 years imprisonment and a maximum of life imprisonment, with fines of up to $4 million.

Prosecutors said they would seek the forfeiture of $18 million worth of property belonging to the defendants, including a number of residences and businesses.

The U.S. Attorney for Puerto Rico, Rosa Emilia Rodriguez-Velez, said U.S. authorities would intensify their efforts to prevent Puerto Rico being used as a transshipment point for drugs to the U.S. mainland.

"The use of commercial aircraft to smuggle narcotics in and out of Puerto Rico, also creates a serious threat to our national security," Rodriguez-Velez added. (Additional reporting by Jane Sutton; Writing by Pascal Fletcher; Editing by Jim Loney, Bernard Orr)

© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved
 
Figured something like this will show up eventually. It has been a while since I've heard of an operation like this. It never ceases to amaze me the things people do you get an easy dollar.
 
And now the price for cocain goes up due to the lowered supply. Coke now becomes an even more profitable business.
 
And now the price for cocain goes up due to the lowered supply. Coke now becomes an even more profitable business.

Do you have any franchise opportunities available? :) I've got plenty of aluminum foil, all I need is a Pilatus Porter.
 
I've still yet to see a Budweiser rep gun down a Miller rep :)

Thats a good point.

But aren't we ignoring the crime problems (hot breakins and murders) resultant from coke.

17,000 drunken driving deaths for a widely used and approved substance, versus unknown OD deaths and violent crimes resultant from its legalization.
 
Thats a good point.

But aren't we ignoring the crime problems (hot breakins and murders) resultant from coke.

17,000 drunken driving deaths for a widely used and approved substance, versus unknown OD deaths and violent crimes resultant from its legalization.
I don't know what the consequences of legalization would be, good and bad. But I know it should be seriously studied and we should have an honest debate about it. Can you imagine overnight removing virtually all revenue sources from every gang in the US? How many more kids will stay in school, how many more lives wont be destroyed on the streets? But the unfortunate flip side...how many more people will start using?

Decriminalizing marijuana is probably a good start. I'd be happy with coke and most other drugs legalized too, but I accept that most people aren't.
 
Decriminalizing marijuana is probably a good start. I'd be happy with coke and most other drugs legalized too, but I accept that most people aren't.

Personally I'd bet money if we legalized Marijuana, we'd legalize some FDA approved, good old hemp. People would still be buying their designer brand of Marijuana and they'd still be supporting illegal activity. Even if we could legalize some of the other designer brands out there at some point the FDA isn't going to allow you to buy weed caked with RAID (the spray on kind) or whatever stupid toxins these morons put into the weed to make their clients hallucinate.

Just my opinion. I'm not a stoner or a professional weed salesman.
 
FDA isn't going to allow you to buy weed caked with RAID (the spray on kind) or whatever stupid toxins these morons put into the weed to make their clients hallucinate.

I think that is the biggest fallacy about drugs out there; dealers don't lace drugs with other things without charging more for it; and they know full well that killing a user gives them a bad reputation as a seller, shows up stronger on law enforcements radar, and leaves them down one buyer.

The stupid ones, sure, they get caught quick; the smart ones, are your neighbors for 25 years without one hint.
 
you to buy weed caked with RAID (the spray on kind)
Wait, smoking RAID is bad for me? Uh oh.

Pretty crazy to see this but after 18 million you woudl think maybe you would hang it up. That's what I don't get about big time drug dealers and what not, at some point you are going to fall. Should you not try to get out while ahead?
 
But rampers still aren't screened at security. Kinda like those "new" 121 rest rules, they don't address the actual problem of fatigue while commuting which is what sparked the whole issue (Colgan crash). Another reason government has failed us - they are simply inept.
 
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