Columbian National Sentenced to 30 Years for Multi–Million Dollar Drug–Trafficking Conspiracy

Mexican Drug Cartels Smuggled Hundreds of Kilograms of Cocaine to KC

KANSAS CITY, Mo. B David M. Ketchmark, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for leading one of the largest cocaine trafficking rings in the metropolitan area.

Alejandro S. Corredor, also known as ALou Lou,@ ARolo,@ and AAlex,@ 37, a citizen of Colombia residing in Kansas City, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Nanette K. Laughrey to 30 years in federal prison without parole.

Operation Blockbuster dismantled a local drug–trafficking organization that smuggled hundreds of kilograms of cocaine worth millions of dollars from Mexico to distribute in the Kansas City metropolitan area. Operation Blockbuster was a multi–agency investigation that also involved the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Kansas, resulting in three separate indictments that charged a total of 31 defendants.

On July 7, 2010, Corredor pleaded guilty to leading the conspiracy to distribute cocaine from January 2007 to August 2009. Corredor, who had connections with a Mexican drug cartel, called his supplier in Mexico to order cocaine to be delivered to the Kansas City metropolitan area. A normal load of cocaine would be from 20 to 50 kilograms, which was smuggled in vehicles driven to Kansas City from Mexico. After Corredor sold the cocaine and collected the money, he packaged the cash in bundles that were hidden in false compartments of various vehicles. The vehicles would then deliver the money to the El Paso, Texas, area, where it would be transported across the border into Mexico.

In addition to the drug–trafficking conspiracy, Corredor pleaded guilty to cash smuggling, money laundering and illegally possessing a firearm. Corredor also admitted that he was involved in plans to assassinate two men in the Kansas City area in April and June 2009. One cartel–ordered assassination resulted in a Mexican national being shot and wounded in June 2009. The second murder resulted in the death of Steven James in April 2009.

Law enforcement officers seized large quantities of cocaine and marijuana and millions of dollars in alleged drug proceeds during the Operation Blockbuster investigation. For example, while executing a search warrant at a Kansas City, Mo., residence, officers seized 46 kilogram bundles of cocaine, $151,000, and a drug ledger. The ledger showed that during a four–month period of time this drug–trafficking organization distributed more than 800 kilograms of cocaine and received $10 million in drug proceeds.

Law enforcement officers also seized more than $1.6 million that was hidden in two vehicles on March 9, 2009. Agents were conducting surveillance at a Kansas City residence that day when they observed co–defendants hiding what they learned were bundles of cash inside the door panels of a Jeep Cherokee. The Jeep was stopped by a trooper with the Missouri State Highway Patrol while traveling through Cass County, Mo. During a search of the Jeep and a Nissan that was being towed, the trooper recovered 163 bundles of cash. Among several other cash seizures, officers seized nearly $654,000 in a traffic stop on May 9, 2009, and more than $50,000 from another vehicle on May 19, 2009, all of which was proceeds from the drug–trafficking conspiracy.

Corredor is the final defendant to be sentenced in this case. Five co–defendants were convicted at trial and eight additional co–defendants pleaded guilty.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph M. Marquez and Patrick D. Daly. It was investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Office of Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, IRS–Criminal Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.

Monett Man Sentenced to 24 Years for Meth Conspiracy, Firarms

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Beth Phillips, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Monett, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and illegally possessing firearms.

Roberto Rodriguez, 26, of Monett, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard E. Dorr to 24 years and four months in federal prison without parole.

On March 4, 2011, Rodriguez was convicted at trial of his role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Barry County, Mo., from October 2009 to February 2010. He was also convicted of being in possession of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it in Barry County, and of maintaining a residence in Monett for the purpose of using and distributing methamphetamine.

Rodriguez was also convicted of two counts of being a felon and an unlawful user of methamphetamine while in possession of firearms. He was in possession of a Springfield Armory .45–caliber handgun on Dec. 7, 2009, in Christian County, Mo. He was in possession of a Ruger .45–caliber revolver and a Mossberg 12–gauge shotgun on Feb. 1, 2010, at his residence where he was arrested.

The jury also convicted Rodriguez of three forfeiture allegations. Rodriguez must forfeit $2,669 that was seized from his residence at the time of his arrest, as well as the firearms.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy A. Garrison and David P. Rush. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Southwest Missouri Drug Task Force, the Missouri StateHighway Patrol and the police departments of Billings, Clever, and Monett, Mo.

Update on Endangered Missing Preschooler

Today, law enforcement and search teams are searching an area outside of Senath, Missouri where potential evidence was found. The area, located on County Road 568 in Dunklin County, is approximately two miles southeast of Breeann Rodriguez’s home. There will be no further specifics on the potential evidence.

Investigators are asking for information about a white van, similar to the ones pictured below. A white cargo van was seen in the area just days prior to Breeann disappearing. The full-size, older-model van may or may not have a ladder mounted in the back.

Digital billboards are now displaying Breeann’s picture in the following areas:

■Kingshighway and Broadway (Cape Girardeau, MO)

■2418 South Caraway (Jonesboro, AR)

■2610 E. Highland Drive (Jonesboro, AR)

■2412 Stadium Boulevard (Jonesboro, AR)

Breeann disappeared August 6, 2011 (Saturday). She was last seen at approximately noon riding her pink bicycle with training wheels in front of her home on Ode Johnson Street in Senath, located in Missouri’s bootheel. Her bicycle also disappeared. She was wearing a pink top, and pink and purple shorts.  Breeann’s pictures can be found on the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s website and on the FBI’s Kidnappings and Missing Persons page.

The FBI and the Senath Marshal’s office are offering a combined reward of up to $45,000 for the successful recovery and prosecution of the person(s) responsible for her disappearance, if she was abducted.

The Senath Police Department along with the FBI Task Force, Dunklin County Sheriff’s Office, Missouri State Highway Patrol, Kennett Police Department, and the Bootheel Drug Task Force are investigating the case.

Anyone with information can call St. Louis Regional CrimeStoppers at 866-371-TIPS and remain anonymous.

Visit fbi.gov for information on a new free mobile app that allows parents to electronically store their children’s pictures and information if their child goes missing.

Public Safety Technology in the News

U.S. to Begin Offering RFID-Equipped Passport Cards
HSDailyWire.com, (1/4/08)

In an effort to ease congestion at land and sea checkpoints, the United States will soon offer passport cards equipped with Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) chips that can be read from about 20 feet away. The system will then check data from the chip to compare the information with terrorist and criminal watch lists. The cards will be optional; however, they are not available for air travel. Travelers also can select a more secure and costlier $97 e-passport, which has a read distance of only 3 inches.
hsdailywire.com/single.php?id=5291

Preventing Bicycle Theft - and Public Safety
HSDailyWire.com, (1/3/08)

A Ph.D. student from Leeds University has developed a video surveillance program that alerts to the theft of a bicycle. The system identifies when an individual has parked his or her bike and sends an alert if another individual removes the bike. The system is able to store a detailed color image of the individual parking the bike and uses it to compare to the individual removing the bike. If there are significant discrepancies between the two images the system recognizes it as a problem and alerts the operators.
hsdailywire.com/single.php?id=5287

CCPD Receives Federal Grant for Thermal Imager
Charles City Press, (12/26/07)

In an effort to assist first responders nationwide, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, through the FY 2007 Commercial Equipment Direct Assistance Program (CEDAP), has made $33.7 million available to fund equipment and training needs. The Charles City (Iowa) Police Department will be using its $12,000 to purchase thermal imaging equipment, which could be used to conduct search and rescue. CEDAP funding is allocated to law enforcement and other emergency responder organizations based on five specific financial and capability needs: personal protective equipment; thermal imaging, night vision, and video surveillance tools; chemical and biological detection tools; information technology and risk management tools; and communications interoperability equipment. The Federal funding is integrated with State planning processes, and the State's administrative agency has the chance to review jurisdictions' applications to ensure they are in line with the State's homeland sec! urity plan.
www.charlescitypress.com/

FBI Prepares Vast Database of Biometrics
washingtonpost.com, (12/22/07), Ellen Nakashima

The FBI is taking on the task of building a database of peoples' physical characteristics that would provide the government the chance to identify individuals in the United States and abroad. Digital images are already being loaded into the FBI systems, and in the coming months the FBI plans to award a contract that will greatly increase the amount of biometrics information it receives. Biometrics use is increasing within the government sector. The U.S. Department of Defense is using biometrics information to allow access to foreign U.S. military bases, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has been using IRIS scans at select airports to identify passengers that have undergone and passed a background check to get through airports faster. The Criminal Justice Integrated System (CJIS) presently matches or rules out as many as 100,000 fingerprints a day. With this contract that same server will process palm print, iris, and facial shape data. This will give public sa! fety officers the chance to know a person's background in seconds.
www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/21/AR2007122102544.html

NYPD Going Green on Electric Scooters
Associated Press, (12/21/07), Tom Hays

In an effort to keep the streets safe and the air clean, the New York Police Department (NYPD) is testing four Vetrix scooters that are electric and ultra-quiet. These scooters will be duty tested on the road in an attempt to reduce the use of gasoline by the city's large police fleet. These units could be used to handle the duties presently handled by NYPD's fleet of gas scooters. These duties include park patrol, crowd management, and traffic/parking enforcement.
ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gYC4-4CjIVjvP_iPaprnyvOUrKHwD8TM1EK80

'Stolen Car Hunter' Gives Escondido Police an Added Boost
NorthCountyTimes.com, (12/25/07), Sarah Wilkins

For the Escondido Police Department vehicle theft is a concern, but the department has added automated license plate recognition to its tools to help patrol officers scan license plates and locate stolen cars. The system has the capacity to scan and rapidly capture license plate numbers from passing cars, and then compare that information against a database of stolen vehicles. If there is a positive match, the system alerts the officer both audibly and on his mobile data terminal (MDT). The system can also alert the officer of vehicles that are wanted or that have been identified as part of an AMBER alert.
www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/12/26/news/sandiego/5_00_4812_25_07.txt

Wartrace Installs Surveillance Cameras
Shelbyville Times-Gazette, (1/9/2008), Brian Mosely

Due to U.S. Department of Homeland Security grant funds, video surveillance will be used to monitor the downtown area of Wartrace (Tennessee) and the CSX rails that run through it. The system will be set up and installed by Stewart Security, with the installation costs being paid by the city and the balance paid using the $4,000 grant award. The funding allowed for the purchase of five cameras and two DVR units that will be used to monitor the railroad crossing at the center of town. The intersection is not being monitored because of crime, but because of the amount of hazardous materials that go through that area on trains. The systems DVR component is designed to handle additional cameras, and the city hopes to take advantage of that functionality in the future.
www.t-g.com/story/1302700.html

Tracking Police Cars
Journal Gazette, (1/9/2008)

A Fort Wayne (Indiana) Journal Gazette editorial describes Police Chief Rusty York's plan to have Automated Vehicle Location devices installed in a majority of the police department's 523 cruisers. These devices will allow dispatchers to know the location of cruisers in relation to calls for assistance, and then dispatch officers accordingly. This decision is believed to improve officer safety and reduce the response time to residents' calls for assistance. With this system in place, the hope is it will provide command staff with a tool to assist in effectively managing deployments. Once the infrastructure is in place other local and county agencies can utilize this tool for only the $350 licensing fee per vehicle.
www.journalgazette.net/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080109/EDIT07/801090337

Law Enforcement Agencies Promote Amber Alert Awareness
KCCommunityNews, (1/9/2008), Jared Hoffmann

On January 13, Amber Alert Awareness Day was promoted by the Missouri State Highway Patrol in hopes of continuing to inform the public and increase public involvement as it relates to the Amber Alert system. The goal was to continue to emphasize how crucial Amber Alert is to quickly finding missing children. Since implementing the Amber Alert system in 1993, the state of Missouri has had a 100 percent success rate for the alerts that have been issued. This system allows the community to play an important role in the location of missing children.
www.kccommunitynews.com/articles/2008/01/09/sun_gazette/news/doc4784fae3aa2a3172809950.txt

Missouri Police Department Introduces Electronic Traffic Citations
CNNMoney.com, (1/10/2008), Jared Hoffmann

Patrol officers for the Neosho (Missouri) Police Department have been using MobileCop™, a wireless law enforcement solution that allows officers to query Federal and State databases regarding driver and vehicle information subsequent to a vehicle stop. This system has been used since 1999, and recently the Neosho Police Department integrated APS QuickTicket™ software with the MobileCop™ system. The data that are retrieved with MobileCop™ query will be automatically populated into the forms fields on the e-citations system. Then the system will generate a hard copy ticket for the violator, and transfer the information electronically to be uploaded to police and court databases. money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/prnewswire/LATH05210012008-1.htm