# Presentation: 577295

## Slide 1

## William Ledwith
Chief, International Operations
Drug Enforcement Administration

***Chief, International Operations***
***Drug Enforcement Administration***

**Jeffrey Casey**
***Executive Director,***
***Office of Investigations,***
***US Customs Service***

## Briefing Sequence

**Magnitude of this Operation**
**Overview of the Two Year Investigation**
**Significant Events Occurring in the Last Two Weeks of This Investigation**

**Notes:**
The Briefing is Divided into two parts
I will brief the first
U.S. Customs will Brief the last two weeks

## Importance

***of the Operation***

## InternationalLaw Enforcement Cooperation

**Trans-National Transportation Organization**** **
**Capable of Moving Multi-Ton Shipments of Cocaine on a Monthly Basis**
**Using a Fleet of Commercial Merchant Vessels**
**Multi-National Law Enforcement Cooperation among 14 Agencies**

**Notes:**
Countries involved:
Albania
Belgium
Colombia
France
Greece
Italy
Netherlands
Panama
Spain
United Kingdom
United States
Venezuela

## One Kilo Cocaine Profit Potential

**$1,700****	****Retail Price in Colombia**** **
**$25,000****	****Average Retail Price in the United States**
**$50,000****	****Average Retail Price in Europe**

***$48,300 Profit Margin***

**Notes:**
United States Range
$9,000 Houston -  $42,000 Boston

Europe Range
$22,000 Spain - $75,000 Ukraine

## European Cocaine Seizures1988-2000 (metric tons)

**Source: Interpol**

**Notes:**
Year to Date figures for the year 2000

We will see if this operations will have an impact upon the price of Cocaine in Europe.

## Trafficking Route

***Trafficking Route***

**Notes:**
Ship moves from Med to Caribbean.
Drugs move via land/air from Colombia to Venezuela
Go-fast boats with cocaine meet Greek ships off-shore
Destined for Europe and the U.S.
Interdicted by Law Enforcement JIATF East based upon Law Enforcement intelligence information shared among cooperating countries.

## Trafficking Route

***Trafficking Route***

## Multi-NationalCooperation

***Multi-National******Cooperation***

**Albania**
**Belgium**
**Colombia**
**France**
**Greece**
**Italy**
**Netherlands**
**Panama**
**Spain**
**United Kingdom**
**United States**
**Venezuela**

**Notes:**
List of foriegn law enforcement agencies involved

## The Two-Year Investigation

## Greek Criminal Organization

**Colombians Contract Greek Shipping Organizations to Transport Cocaine to Europe**** **
**Fleet of 8 to 10 Commercial Ships Utilized To Handle Transportation**** **
**Crew Members Include Numerous Nationalities**

**Notes:**
Crew Member Nationalities Include
Fillipeno, Bangledesh, Albanian, Greek, Ukraine, South Americans

## Investigation Begins

***Investigation Begins***

**Hellenic, US, and Colombian Authorities Identify European Connections in Early 1998**

**Notes:**
Countries include: Albania, Italy, Spain, France, Belgium, Netherlands and the United Kingdom

Law Enforcement begins to share information and coordinate investigative efforts

## South AmericaInvestigation

***South America******Investigation***

**British, US, Colombian and Venezuelan Authorities Identify South American Connections in 1999**

**Notes:**
List of foriegn law enforcement agencies involved

## In 1999, European and South American Investigations Are Joined into a Multi-Lateral, Multi-National Effort Against International Cocaine Traffickers

**In 1999, European and South American Investigations Are Joined into a Multi-Lateral, Multi-National Effort Against International Cocaine Traffickers**

**Notes:**
List of foriegn law enforcement agencies involved

## Seizure History

**Cannes****	****1/14/99****	****3,803 Kilograms**

_**Ship**__**	**__**Date**__**	**__**Cocaine**_

**Notes:**
U.S. Customs Begins

## Cannes

**Destination:  Europe**
**Vessel Type: Commercial Cargo**
**Cocaine Seized: 3,803 Kilograms**
**Seized in the Caribbean and Towed to the U.S.**

**Notes:**
Associated with the Gustavo Gomez-Maya Organization

This seizure under Operation Atlantico, was associated with Gomez-Maya Organization, who was a close associate of the target of Operation Journey

## Seizure History

**Cannes****	****1/14/99****	****3,803 Kilograms**

_**Ship**__**	**__**Date**__**	**__**Cocaine**_

**China Breeze****	****5/27/99****	****3,880 Kilograms**

## China Breeze

**Destination:  Amsterdam**
**Vessel Type: Commercial Cargo**
**Cocaine Seized: 3,880 Kilograms**
**Seized in the Caribbean and Towed to the U.S.**

## China Breeze Route

***China Breeze Route***

**5/11/99 Departs New Orleans, Louisiana**

**5/25/99 On-loads Cocaine off the Coast of South America**

**5/27/99 China Breeze  boarded and searched 150 NM south of Puerto Rico, escorted to Galveston by JIATF East Assets**

## Seized Document from China Breeze

**Fax indicating coordinates of the cocaine on-load and  radio frequencies to be utilized**

## Coded Messages

## Bonus Schedule

**“****Bonus” payment sheet following a previous cocaine smuggle by the China Breeze**

## Seizure History

**Cannes****	****1/14/99****	****3,803 Kilograms**
**China Breeze****	****5/27/99****	****3,880 Kilograms**

_**Ship**__**	**__**Date**__**	**__**Cocaine**_

**Castor****	****6/8/99****	****4,000 Kilograms**

## Castor

**Destination:  Florida**
**Vessel Type: Commercial Cargo**
**Cocaine Seized: 4,000 Kilograms**
**Seized in the Caribbean and Towed to the U.S.**

**Notes:**
Also associated with Gustavo Gomez-Maya Organization

## M/V CASTOR Route

**3/31/99 In Dry-Dock in Santo Domingo**

**5/14/99 On-Loads Cargo of Sugar, Vera Cruz Mexico**

**5/31/99 Boarded and Searched 14 NM North of Isla Margarita, Venezuela**

**6/8/99 Arrives in Miami, Florida once Intercepted and Escorted by JIATF Assets**

## Seizure History

**Cannes****	****1/14/99****	****3,803 Kilograms**
**China Breeze****	****5/27/99****	****3,880 Kilograms**
**Castor****	****6/8/99****	****4,000 Kilograms**

_**Ship**__**	**__**Date**__**	**__**Cocaine**_

**Pearl II****	****12/23/99****	****2,006 Kilograms**

## Pearl II

**Destination:  Amsterdam**
**Vessel Type: Commercial Cargo**
**Cocaine Seized: 2,006 Kilograms**
**Seized by Dutch Authorities in Amsterdam**

**Notes:**
Seized in Amsterdam

## Significant Events

***in the Last Two Weeks***

## Ivan De La Vega Arrested

**August 16, 2000 —**** Arrested in Venezuela**
**August 19, 2000 —**** Expelled with****Luis Antonio Navia to the United States**

## Ivan De La Vega

**Alleged Leader of this Maritime Transportation Organization**
**Colombian Citizen**
**Charged in Fort Lauderdale, Southern District of Florida**

## Seizure History

**Cannes****	****1/14/99****	****3,803 Kilograms**
**China Breeze****	****5/27/99****	****3,880 Kilograms**
**Castor****	****6/8/99****	****4,000 Kilograms**
**Pearl II****	****12/23/99****	****2,006 Kilograms**

_**Ship**__**	**__**Date**__**	**__**Cocaine**_

**Suerte I****	****8/17/00****	****Currently Being ****	****	****Escorted to the US**

## Suerte I Boarded

**August 17, 2000 —**** *****Suerte I***** Boarded by JAITF East Assets**
**To be Escorted to the United States**

## August 16, 2000 — Venezuelans Raid Storage & Staging Area and Seize 7 Go-Fast Boats and Gear

**August 13, 2000 —**** Go-Fast “Orca” with 3,000 kilograms of Cocaine on board was fired upon by Venezuelan Patrol Boat**

## 3,900 Kilograms of Cocaine Seized at Storage Facility on August 17, 2000

**3,900 Kilograms of Cocaine Seized at Storage Facility on August 17, 2000**

## August 23, 2000 — 2,500 Kilograms of Cocaine Seized at Jungle Storage Facility

**August 22, 2000 —**** 2,400 Kilograms of Cocaine Seized at Jungle Storage Facility**

## Case Statistics

## Operation Journey Statistics:43 Arrests

***China Breeze*****:****	****5 ****(United States)**
***Pearl II*****:****	****14 ****(Amsterdam)**
**Venezuela:****	****13**
**Italy:****	****2**
**France:****	****1**
**Greece:****	****8**

## Significant Seizures:22,489 Kilograms Seized

**Venezuela:****	****8,800**
***Cannes*****:****	****3,803**
***China Breeze*****:****	****3,880**
***Castor*****:****	****4,000**
***Pearl II*****:****	****2,006**

**Notes:**
Closely monitoring the price of cocaine in Europe.

## Slide 40