Record Seizure in State : Charges Dropped for 3 of 7 in Cocaine Case

A Superior Court judge Friday dismissed charges against three of seven South Americans arrested in California’s largest cocaine seizure case and ordered the others to return to court Oct. 3.

Judge John J. Ryan said sufficient evidence did not exist to try Colombians Florinda Suarez Prada, 25, and Onelia Rita Arboleda, 24. Deputy Dist. Atty. James M. Brooks then moved to dismiss charges against Fabio Ardila Dimate, 41, and Ryan promptly approved the motion.

The other four defendants are Juan Perez Sanchez, 29, of Ecuador; Clara Rubia Perez, 22, of Venezuela; and Uldarico Cabuya, 34, and Gonzalo Ruiz, 29, both of Colombia. They remain in the Orange County Jail with bail set at $4 million each.

Among 10 South Americans

The suspects were among 10 South Americans arrested April 4 in raids at five locations in Anaheim, Placentia and Fullerton. Los Angeles police narcotics agents that night confiscated $730,000 in cash and 1,784 pounds of cocaine with a street value of $500 million.

The raids came after Los Angeles narcotics agents received a tip about an alleged cocaine-smuggling ring in Orange County and placed two of the defendants under surveillance.

At a preliminary hearing three weeks after the raids, charges were dropped against three of those arrested.

It is the defense attorneys’ plan to have Ryan decide on the guilt or innocence of the four defendants after reviewing the complete transcript of last April’s eight-day preliminary hearing.

Appeal Rights Protected

Defense attorney Mike McDonnell, who represents Perez Sanchez, said that by having Ryan pronounce the verdict, rather than having the defendants enter guilty pleas, the defendants’ preserve their rights to an appeal.

Brooks said that if the defendants are found guilty, a minimum of 13 years in prison will be recommended for Perez Sanchez and Cabuya, and a minimum of three years for Clara Perez and Ruiz. All could receive a maximum of 15 years.

Brooks said he was satisfied that all four of the defendants probably will receive prison time.

“I would have been happy to convict all 10 and give them each 15 years. But based on the evidence and other considerations, this is the most realistic,” he said.