Two Tons of Cocaine Are Seized in Tijuana

Mexican federal police said Friday that they seized a cocaine cache of more than two tons--the largest cocaine seizure ever in Mexico--in a pre-dawn raid on a house here.

Salvador Perez Peralta, head of the Federal Judicial Police detachment in Tijuana, said the Colombian cocaine was seized in the early morning hours Wednesday after it had been moved from a rabbit ranch called Rancho Los Conejos located near Rosarito. Police arrested 10 Mexican men and said the cocaine was destined for the United States.

The cocaine, in 67 duffle and plastic bags full of one-kilo bricks, was displayed at a press conference that was called amid tight security. The bricks were neatly packaged and wrapped in cellophane that carried a quality seal of assurance. The seal was printed in English and read: “Warranty Seal. Quality Control Complete in Colombia. Hand Made Product.”

Perez said the drug was of “high quality, almost 100% pure” and estimated its value at $100 million.

Drug Enforcement Administration Agent Jim Hicks in San Diego said that seizures of 100% pure cocaine are rare. Hicks said DEA agents have seized cocaine that is about 98% pure. Cocaine of such high quality can sell for as much as $30,000 per kilo, Hicks said. A seizure of 2,135 pounds of cocaine made by Los Angeles police on Aug. 21 was valued at $363 million.

Mexican Reporters Flown In

Heavily armed Mexican federal judicial police blocked the streets around police headquarters while Perez talked with dozens of Mexican and U.S. reporters. Mexican authorities placed such importance on the drug bust that one police official said the government flew some Mexican reporters from Mexico City to cover the noon press conference.

According to Perez and other police officials interviewed at the press conference, the arrests culminated a four-month investigation conducted by the Federal Judicial Police. Norman Gastelum Salazar, 51, was among those arrested and was identified by Perez as the leader of the operation to smuggle the drug into the United States.

Authorities in Mexico City were quoted in wire service reports as saying that several “big fishes” of a powerful drug ring were arrested in the raid. However, Perez said that Gastelum and his accomplices were only responsible for transporting the cocaine into the United States.

Perez said that the cocaine was flown from Colombia to the Coronado Islands, off the Tijuana coast, in two planes. The drug was then transported by boat to the mainland, where it was loaded in an 18-wheel truck and transported to the ranch. From the ranch, the drug was taken to a house in Tijuana, where it was seized. Perez did not say when the cocaine was flown to the island or how long it had been stored at the ranch and the house.

Police investigators said the suspects told interrogators that they had smuggled 500 to 600 kilos of cocaine into the United States on three previous occasions. A police report of the investigation also said that the ring had recently distributed 300 kilos of marijuana.

On Friday, Mexican authorities took the suspects out of the jail cells and lined them outside against the wall of the police station for the benefit of photographers. Reporters were not allowed to question the men. But when Mexican photographers complained that some of the suspects were looking down at the sidewalk instead of at the camera, a police official walked in front of the line of suspects and ordered them to look at the cameras.

In addition to the cocaine, police also seized several automatic rifles, handguns, shotguns, more than 5,000 rounds of ammunition and five vehicles. According to a police report, one of the vehicles had a California personalized license plate that read “Villanueva.” However, personalized license plates in California are limited to seven letters or numbers.

Hicks said that the DEA did not have any information on the arrests but American drug agents were meeting with Mexican officials to discuss the drug bust.