Ramey Border Patrol Agents Seize 918 Kilos of Cocaine

Three citizens of the Dominican Republic arrested

San Juan, Puerto Rico – Four individuals landing a boat in the southern coast of Puerto Rico were caught and arrested by Customs and Border Protection's U.S. Border Patrol agents and the Puerto Rico Police Department yesterday after landing with a load of 918.7 kilos (2,025 pounds) of cocaine.

Border Patrol agents observed a 33-foot Eduardoño-type vessel with two outboard engines reaching the shores of Tuna Beach in the town of Maunabo, requesting immediate assistance from Puerto Rico Police Joint Forces of Rapid Action (FURA, for its Spanish acronym) agents.

Border Patrol and FURA agents found 33 bales containing 811 bricks of cocaine as well as a Ford Expedition with 15 gasoline containers.

Three individuals claiming to be from the Dominican Republic were arrested; Cecilio Mercedes-De La Cruz, Jose Miguel Guzman-De Los Santos and Victor Manuel Carela.

The estimated value of the seized cocaine is $22,950,000.

The vessel, subjects, vehicle, and contraband will be turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) for prosecution and disposition.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.

IT’S NOT WHAT THEY MIGHT FIND THAT WORRIES THEM. IT’S WHAT THEY MIGHT MISS

No One Is Above Suspicion as Federal Agents at New York’s JFK International Airport

Go on the Hunt To Catch a Smuggler

New Series Premieres Monday, October 8, at 9 PM ET/PT

(WASHINGTON, D.C) Millions of dollars of contraband are seized annually by agents and officers with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, one of the largest hubs for international travel in the United States. It’s a job where everything — from the safety of their team to the security of the nation — is at stake. Any stone left unturned is an opportunity for criminal activity that could put the country at risk. The only thing they’re often given to act on: gut instinct.

Go behind the X-ray scanners and security doors at JFK with officers of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and special agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the new series To Catch a Smuggler, premiering Oct. 8 at 9 PM ET/PT on the National Geographic Channel. Nothing and no one is above suspicion.

Two major agencies at JFK work together to limit the amount of illegal drugs and banned goods coming into the United States. CBP officers stand at the gates, checking passports and assessing passengers; they are the first line of defense, tasked with observing suspicious activities and making inquiries. ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents take these cases to the next level to uncover the real source of the criminal activity by exposing contraband and eliciting confessions. Now National Geographic goes where cameras are rarely allowed — into the interrogation room with agents as they identify, search, question and arrest criminals, engaging in a cat-and-mouse game for the truth.

Supervisory officer Joe Finn, who leads a team of CBP officers, says, “I love catching drugs … I mean that’s what I find more fun than anything. It’s always coming in …. It’s a hunt. And when you find it, it’s very satisfying.”

People employ numerous methods to smuggle drugs into the country. Sometimes it’s a clever form of concealment; most times, less so. In an early episode, thorough detective work causes the story of an Ecuadorian man to unravel, and despite continued protestations an X-ray reveals that he’s swallowed large pellets of liquid heroin. Later in the series, a random baggage search by CBP officers of an 18-year-old reveals cocaine in the lining of his luggage, seeping out through the cracks in his suitcase and mixing in with his clothes. After he’s arrested, HSI agents convince him to cooperate and start naming names.

Drugs aren’t the only thing these agents are looking for. Fruits, meats and other foreign produce, potentially carrying harmful pests and bacteria that could devastate the country’s agricultural industry, are confiscated and destroyed, including nearly 25,000 seizures in 2011 alone. Officers in the mail room inspect nearly 700,000 packages a day for drugs, counterfeit money, exotic animals or worse. For ICE and CBP agents, it’s all in day’s work.

Premiere Episodes Include:

To Catch a Smuggler: Courier to Kingpin

Premieres Monday, Oct. 8, at 9 p.m. ET/PT

At New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, one of the largest hubs for international travel in the United States, officers of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and special agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are always on the hunt for contraband. When a flight arrives from South America, the CBP team sends the plane’s luggage through X-ray and then to the K-9 team, which immediately picks up on a package containing crystal meth. Next, CBP Officer Redpath interviews a traveler returning from his wedding ceremony in Bangladesh. The passenger admits to filing a false report about his kidnapped parents at the U.S. Embassy, which further intrigues Officer Redpath — is this a crime for CBP or the FBI? A Guyana flight arrives with a man making his third trip in the past year — a little too frequent, in the officers’ opinions. After inspecting the passenger’s bag, the team finds 4 kilos of cocaine. A young kid arrives from the Dominican Republic and Officer Finn has a suspicion about him. After seven calls to relatives fail to verify the young man’s story, Officer Finn decides to take him in for an X-ray.

To Catch a Smuggler: Cavity Courier

Premieres Monday, Oct. 15, at 9 p.m. ET/PT

A flight arrives from Guyana, a recent hot spot for smuggling activity, and CBP Officer Elias has his eye on a particularly nervous passenger. As soon as Officer Elias opens the man’s bag, he sees a false bottom concealing cocaine. Officer Redpath interviews a woman from Paraguay about the stamps in her passport. It takes very little coaxing to get this woman to admit to living illegally in the U.S. for seven years — and she’s not going to be admitted into the U.S. today. A Jamaican man is stopped by CBP officers and becomes very nervous. After the officers remove his shoes, they discover cocaine in the bottom worth around $60,000. On another arriving flight from Guyana, a woman in baggage claim keeps looking back at the officers — is this a dead giveaway for a smuggler? After Officer Finn’s tough interrogation proves futile, he tries a gentler approach with the woman, which ultimately leads to her confession.

To Catch a Smuggler: Hidden Heroin

Premieres Monday, Oct. 22, at 9 p.m. ET/PT

When a man arrives from Ecuador without luggage, CBP Officer Finn wastes no time meeting him at baggage claim for questioning. The team brings him into a private room for a pat-down and the traveler’s story begins to unravel, forcing the officers to do an X-ray for ingested drug pellets. CBP’s target team discovers a package containing engine pistons. When the weights of each piston begin to differ drastically, the officers decide to drill for drugs, leading them to a heroin trafficker in D.C. Later, a very nervous traveler arrives on a flight from Nigeria. As Officer Finn probes, the man seems to be stumbling over his story.

To Catch a Smuggler: Coke in the Coat

Premieres Monday, Oct. 29, at 9 p.m. ET/PT

A family arrives on a flight from Peru carrying bags full of leather jackets. After CBP officers go through the bags, they discover cocaine in the lining of the coats. The father admits to transporting the bags, but claims he never knew he was carrying drugs. In the mail room, Officer Boris identifies a package containing a photo album … and half a pound of heroin worth around $13,000. When flights arrive from Pakistan, Egypt and Kuwait simultaneously, Officer Elias is already on his toes, but when a radiation detector starts going off, the team must identify the source without causing panic among the passengers.

To Catch a Smuggler: Search & Seize

Premieres Monday, Nov. 5, at 10 p.m. ET/PT

For CBP officers Ramirez and Finn, an 18-year-old trying to smuggle cocaine in the lining of his suitcase proves to be a slam dunk. When he is selected for a random baggage search, CBP officers find the narcotic seeping through cracks in his suitcase. Now they work to get him to cooperate and start naming names. Later, at immigration, an unemployed man from Nigeria claims to be in the country to purchase computer parts while traveling with just $100. Through deft ICE interrogation, his story starts to unravel, and he may be barred from the U.S. for five years. Finally, a woman from Jamaica attempts to smuggle undeclared food, and cockroaches are crawling out of her bag.

For more information, visit www.natgeotv.com or www.ngcpr.com.

To Catch A Smuggler is produced by National Geographic Television (NGT) for the National Geographic Channel (NGC). For NGT, the Executive Producer is Jerry Decker. For NGC, Executive Producer is Madeleine Carter, Vice President of Production and Development is Kevin Mohs and Executive Vice President of Production is Michael Cascio.

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National Geographic Channels

Based at the National Geographic Society headquarters in Washington, D.C., the National Geographic Channels US are a joint venture between National Geographic and Fox Cable Networks. The Channels contribute to the National Geographic Society’s commitment to exploration, conservation and education with smart, innovative programming and profits that directly support its mission. Launched in January 2001, National Geographic Channel (NGC) celebrated its fifth anniversary with the debut of NGC HD. In 2010, the wildlife and natural history cable channel Nat Geo WILD was launched, and in 2011, the Spanish-language network Nat Geo Mundo was unveiled. The Channels have carriage with all of the nation’s major cable, telco and satellite television providers, with NGC currently available in 84 million U.S. homes. Globally, National Geographic Channel is available in 440 million homes in 171 countries and 38 languages. For more information, visit www.natgeotv.com.

Media Contact:

Stephanie Montgomery; (202)-912-6632, smontgomery@natgeotv.com

CBP Officers Seize $1 Million in Cocaine at Hidalgo Bridge

Hidalgo, Texas — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Hidalgo International Bridge seized over $1,000,000 worth of alleged cocaine and arrested a North Carolina man on Saturday, September 15.

“This well-hidden load of narcotics was discovered because of our officers’ outstanding and relentless efforts to help keep drugs from crossing our border,” said Efrain Solis Jr., Port Director, Hidalgo/Pharr/Anzalduas. “By working as a team and employing individual officer expertise and knowledge, this load of hard narcotics was intercepted from the drug trafficking organizations.”

On Saturday afternoon, September 15, a black 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander occupied by three individuals arrived at the Hidalgo-Reynosa International Bridge. The driver, a 26-year-old male U.S. citizen from North Carolina and the adult female passenger presented a U.S. passport and a U.S. birth certificate was presented for a minor female child traveling with them. A CBP officer referred the vehicle and occupants to secondary for a more thorough inspection. In secondary, officers discovered 14 packages weighing approximately 38 pounds of alleged cocaine concealed within the vehicle. The cocaine which had an estimated street value of $1,218,000 was seized by CBP along with the vehicle.

The adult male traveler was released to the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations agents for further investigation.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.

Cheryl Steward Pleads Guilty to Charges Related to Murder of Captain Dennis Cagle

Jackson, TN – Cheryl Freeman Steward, age 52, of Henderson, Tennessee, pled guilty today to charges related to the murder of Captain Dennis Cagle. Freeman pled guilty to two counts of attempted robbery affecting commerce, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1951, and a convicted felon that was prohibited from possessing a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(a)(6) and 924(a)(2) of the superseding indictment, announced Edward L. Stanton III, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee.

The charges stem from the December 10, 2009, attempted robbery of the Save-A-Lot grocery store in Henderson, Tennessee committed by Cheryl Steward's husband Ricky Stewart. Ricky Stewart fired upon officers who responded to the robbery in progress, including Henderson Police Captain Dennis Cagle, who later succumbed to the injuries he received from a gunshot wound. Cheryl Steward will be sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge J. Daniel Breen on November 30, 2012 at 1:30 p.m.

The case was investigated by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the ATF, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Henderson Police Department and the Chester County Sheriff's Office. District Attorney General Jerry Woodall and Assistant District Attorney Jody Pickens served as special counsel in this case. Assistant United States Attorney Victor L. Ivy prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

Forty-Three Alleged Members and Associates of the Latin Kings Street Gang Facing State or Federal Narcotics Charges

Twenty-six charged in federal complaints; 17 arrested on state charges Heroin, cocaine, and marijuana seized, along with cash and firearms

CHICAGO — Twenty-six alleged members and associates of the Latin Kings street gang are facing federal narcotics charges, most of them for their alleged roles in one of two drugtrafficking organizations that supplied and distributed multi-kilogram quantities of heroin, cocaine, and marijuana in Chicago and the south suburbs, federal and local law enforcement officials announced today. An additional 17 defendants are facing related state charges in Cook and Will counties. The federal charges, contained in four separate criminal complaints, stem from an investigation of narcotics and firearms trafficking led by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Joliet Metropolitan Area Narcotics Squad, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), together with other federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.

Agents yesterday seized an undetermined amount of cash and 13 firearms, including five long-barreled weapons, while arresting 16 of the federal defendants. Six other federal defendants were already in custody and four are fugitives. Previously, during the two-year investigation, agents seized more than $50,000; four firearms, including a sawed-off shotgun; more than two pounds of heroin, and wholesale quantities of cocaine, all in the Chicago area, as wells nearly two tons of marijuana that was interdicted along the Southwest border.

A federal magistrate judge approved the use of no-knock arrest warrants for two defendants, DAMIAN RIVERA, also known as "Spook" and "King Spook," 31, of Burbank, and EMMANUEL FERNANDEZ, aka "Maniac" and "Manny," 27, of Chicago, based on their alleged possession of firearms and expressed willingness to use violence.

As part of the investigation, three federal defendants were arrested earlier this week and charged with conspiracy to possess and distribute cocaine that they planned to steal from what they believed was a drug stash house, but which actually was a ruse as part of an undercover sting operation. The overarching investigation made critical use of an undercover agent who successfully infiltrated the Latin Kings for an extended time.

Twenty-two of the defendants were charged with various drug distribution offenses in two separate criminal complaints that were filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court and unsealed following the arrests. The federal defendants arrested yesterday appeared before Magistrate Judge Arlander Keys in U.S. District Court and all but one remain in federal custody pending detention hearings scheduled for next week.

Gary S. Shapiro, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, praised the dedication and teamwork of the ATF, Joliet MANS, and HSI agents who worked diligently to disrupt these alleged drug-trafficking organizations. Mr. Shapiro announced the charges with Larry Ford, Special Agent-in-Charge of ATF in Chicago, and Gary Hartwig, Special Agent-in-Charge of HSI in Chicago. The Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division, the Illinois State Police and the Metropolitan Area Narcotics Squad (MANS), as well as the Summit, Bolingbrook, and Lyons police departments, also participated in the investigation. The investigation was conducted under the umbrella of the U.S. Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF).

"These cases are textbook examples of the work that the U.S. Attorney's Office routinely performs with all of our law enforcement partners — federal, state, and local — to stem the tide of gangs, guns, drugs, and violent crime in Chicago and neighboring communities," Mr. Shapiro said.

"Combating drugs and violent crime, while protecting the public, is the mission of ATF," Mr. Ford said. "Yesterday, the men and women of ATF, together with our law enforcement partners, arrested ranking members of the Latin Kings street gang operating in the suburbs of Summit, South Holland, Joliet, Bolingbrook, Orland Hills, New Lenox, Lemont, and Brookfield, with tentacles reaching into the Ogden police district on Chicago's near west side, thereby making our respective communities safer. It is a priority of ATF to protect our neighborhoods from drug trafficking and the accompanying use of firearms and violent crime," he added.

Mr. Hartwig said: "This investigation has dealt a serious blow to alleged criminal organizations suspected of trafficking large quantities of heroin and cocaine from Mexico into the Chicago area. The arrests, including those of several high-ranking Latin Kings gang members, dismantled a destructive supply chain and prevented untold amounts of dangerous drugs and guns from reaching our streets."

United States v. Rivera, et al.

Twelve defendants were charged with various conspiracies to distribute heroin, or were charged individually with possessing heroin with intent to distribute, or distribution of heroin, in an eight-count complaint, supported by a 234-page affidavit. These defendants were associated with defendant DAMIAN RIVERA, the alleged leader of a drug trafficking organization based in Chicago that bought and sold kilogram quantities of heroin on a monthly basis, the charges allege. Between March and June this year, the Rivera drug trafficking organization allegedly distributed or attempted to posses and distribute at least 5.5 kilograms of heroin and collected more than $171,850 in heroin proceeds.

In May, agents seized more than a kilogram of heroin and they also seized more than $53,000 combined on two occasions in May and June. In June 2011, U.S. Customs and Border protection officers seized a shipment of approximately 1,674.8 kilograms of marijuana that was found hidden inside furniture in a tractor-trailer on the U.S.-Mexican border at Laredo, Tex. The electronic manifest listed the "ultimate consignee" as "Damian Rivera dba D. Rivera Construction," with various personal identifiers associated with Rivera.

The complaint details recorded conversations in which Rivera allegedly said that the last time he was in Mexico was when he ordered the load of marijuana that was seized by Customs officers at the border.

Between September 2011 and March this year, the undercover agent and others allegedly purchased approximately 100-gram quantities of heroin on four occasions from Rivera and others, as well as a .380 caliber pistol, a 9 millimeter firearm, a Glock pistol, a sawed-off shotgun, and a bullet proof vest.

Also charged in this complaint were PEDRO ANTONIO HERNANDEZ ACEVES, who allegedly brokered the shipment of kilogram quantities of heroin on behalf of the Rivera's organization; EMMANUEL FERNANDEZ, who allegedly stored and distributed wholesale quantities of heroin, and collected and delivered cash proceeds generated by the sale of heroin. Defendant HECTOR ARIAS allegedly distributed wholesale quantities of heroin and collected cash for delivery to the organization's heroin supplier, and HILARIO TREVINO allegedly collected the Rivera organization's money.

Rivera and his organization received shipments of wholesale quantities heroin from defendants ISRAEL RIOS, EUGENIO MIRANDA-APARICIO, and ARTURO ESQUIVEL CAMACHO, the charges allege. Defendants LAMONT WALLACE, WILLIAM NUNEZ, ADALBERTO DIAZ, and DEANGELO CURTIS allegedly distributed the heroin.

United States v. Cisneros, et al.

Eight defendants were charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine and two others were charged with distribution of cocaine in a three-count complaint, supported by a 132-page affidavit. These defendants were associated with ALAN CISNEROS, aka "Ghost," 27, of Summit, the alleged leader of a drug trafficking organization based in suburban Summit, and the alleged regional leader of the Midwest Region of the Almighty Latin King Nation until he was arrested in May of this year.

Between November 2011 and May 7, 2012, the Cisneros drug trafficking organization allegedly obtained multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine from suppliers such as co-defendants ANDRES GARCIA and RICARDO JUAREZ, and distributed the cocaine to its customers. Defendant CHRISTIAN RAMIREZ allegedly distributed cocaine and served as a manager of the organization. Ramirez assisted Cisneros by dealing directly with drug suppliers on Cisneros' behalf, and by obtaining, preparing, and storing cocaine prior to its distribution to organization workers and drug customers, the charges allege. Further, Ramirez allegedly collected cash from workers, distributors, and customers, as well as stored and delivered drug money on behalf of the organization. Co-defendants FAUSTINO MORALES, JAVIER ABEJA, ALEJANDRO CABRERA, FERNANDO LLANES, and ERNESTO ROSALES allegedly were drug distributors, or workers, to whom Cisneros allegedly fronted cocaine for distribution. These defendants also delivered cocaine or cash to Cisneros or Ramirez, prepared cocaine to be sold to customers, stored cocaine and money, and conducted counter-surveillance, according to the complaint. Additionally, Abeja and Llanes allegedly brokered purchases of cocaine from suppliers. Cisneros' wife, DIANA CISNEROS, allegedly worked for the organization and assisted her husband with storing and delivering drugs and proceeds, and conducting counter-surveillance.

In a separate complaint, JUAN AMAYA, aka "Crow," 37, of Chicago, an alleged ranking Latin Kings member who distributed drugs in Chicago's Little Village neighborhood, was charged with distributing an ounce of cocaine to an undercover agent in November 2010.

The three defendants arrested Monday for allegedly conspiring to steal drugs from the undercover stash house are JUSTIN R. DAVILA, aka "Fatman," 23; his brother, JASON J. DAVILA, 21; and NIEKO E. HADLEY, aka "Yogi," 20, all of Joliet.

Eight defendants in the Rivera case face a mandatory minimum of 10 years to a maximum of life in prison and a $10 million fine, while the others face sentences ranging from a maximum of 20 to 40 years in prison and fines up to $5 million. All 10 defendants in the Cisneros case are facing a mandatory minimum of five years and a maximum of 40 years in prison and a maximum fine of $5 million. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.

The government is being represented by Assistant United States Attorneys Tiffany Tracy, Peter M. Flanagan, Christopher Grohman, and Philip Fluhr.

The public is reminded that complaints contain only charges and are not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and are entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.