Largest-Ever Dope Ring Cracked
Federal officials announced today they have cracked a drug smuggling ring described as the largest and most sophisticated ever discovered in the United States.
The ring smuggled 20,000 pounds of cocaine into the United States for the Medellin cartel of Colombia, considered the biggest supplier of cocaine for the U.S. market, between 1982 and 1986, federal authorities said. FBI and U.S. Customs agents fanned out across Florida today to make arrests in the case. Agents also confiscated 12 aircraft, 21 motor vehicles, 28 boats and 17 pieces of property used by the ring, with a total value of $5 million.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
