$27-Million Sting by U.S. Agents Nets Indictment of Mexico General, 11 Others

SAN DIEGO — An ambitious sting operation in which undercover U.S. drug agents engineered a $27-million deal for five tons of cocaine led this week to the indictment of a Mexican Army general, a former Mexican Army colonel and 10 others, U.S. officials said Friday.

In a press conference attended by federal prosecutors and agents from U.S. Customs and the Drug Enforcement Administration, the officials said the arrests smashed a cartel capable of importing as much as 86 tons of the drug annually into the United States.

The five-month investigation culminated with the arrest Thursday of seven suspects--four Mexicans and three Bolivians--in the parking lot of an Alpha Beta market in La Jolla where they had been lured with the prospect of $1.5 million in cash down payment on the deal. Five others named in the indictment--including the Mexican general--are still at large.

Posed as Smugglers

To set up the sting operation, U.S. agents posed as representatives of an American drug-smuggling ring and met with alleged smugglers aboard yachts, in a Panamanian yacht club and in the Panamanian jungle. Officials said that Bolivian cocaine suppliers with their own air force and clandestine landing strips agreed to sell the American undercover agents five tons of cocaine for $27 million cash.

As part of the deal, Mexican Army Gen. Poblano Silva allegedly offered to block an isolated highway in the Mexican state of Puebla as a a refueling stop for an airplane carrying the cocaine to the United States from Bolivia. The general and other Mexican officials demanded a payment of $1 million for every 1,000 kilos of smuggled cocaine for this “official protection.”

DEA Special Agent Charlie Hill said that no drugs were exchanged during the sting and no money was kept by the accused smugglers. Hill said the deal was negotiated with a Bolivian drug ring known as “The Corporation” and headed by Pato (Negro) Pizarro.

According to the indictment unsealed Friday, a U.S. government informant posing as a representative of the fictitious American drug ring during a December visit to Bolivia saw 16 drug laboratories, each with its own airstrip, numerous aircraft and communications facilities.

Cocaine at Airstrips

The informant also allegedly saw about 175,000 pounds of cocaine waiting to be shipped from the airstrips. According to Hill, Pizarro’s drug operation is capable of making up to 200 pounds of cocaine a day, and “The Corporation” can make 86 tons of the drug annually. Hill and U.S. Atty. Peter K. Nunez said the drug ring smuggled the cocaine to the United States.

The DEA estimates that about 150 tons of cocaine are consumed in the United States each year, and Hill said the arrests would put “a dent” in the amount of the drug being smuggled. But Hill later said, “I’m certainly not making the statement that we’re cutting the (cocaine) supply in half.”

Hill said that U.S. officials received “outstanding” cooperation from Panamanian and Bolivian officials during the five-month investigation.

Nunez said that no attempt was made to involve Mexican officials in the investigation, and used the occasion to warn about pervasive corruption among Mexican government, police and military officials.

Mexicans Arrested

The Mexicans arrested include Pablo Giron, Hector Manuel Alvarez Brumel, Efren Mendez Duenas and Jorge Carranzas. Carranzas was described as a former colonel in the Mexican army. The Bolivians arrested were Jorge Roman Salas, Mario Vargas Bruun and Rolando Antonio Ayala. Also named in the indictment but not in custody are Gen. Silva, Mexican Army Lt. Col. Salvador de la Vega and Bolivians Pizarro, Winston Rodriguez and someone known only as Reperto.

Officials said Friday that the U.S. will initiate extradition proceedings, but they were not optimistic about their chances for success.

The complaint and the indictment accuses the 12 of conspiring to import cocaine and of possessing cocaine with intent to distribute. The penalty for conviction on the drug conspiracy charges could bring life terms in prison and $4 million in fines.