Opinion ID: 2632549
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Remaining Wiretaps

Text: Based on the information obtained from wiretap No. 00-02, Special Agent Diederich confirmed that Leon was the user of Target Telephone # 1 and submitted a new application (wiretap No. 00-04) for that cell phone, four other cell phones, and two pagers. The affidavit disclosed that aerial surveillance in January 2000 had proved unhelpful, that the intercepted conversations had been extremely coded and the participants had identified themselves for the most part only by moniker, and that the identities of the users and the physical whereabouts of most of the phones were unknown. The affidavits for the remaining wiretap application extensions recounted the progress of the investigation, including the seizure of eight kilos of cocaine from a Los Angeles hotel and the seizure of $260,125 in cash at the' Los Angeles International Airport in January 2000, the seizure of 1,150 pounds of marijuana at an Alhambra apartment in February 2000, and the seizure of 172 kilos of cocaine in three separate incidents in April and May 2000. The affidavits also recited that the seizures nonetheless had yielded little information as to the organization's source of supply or method of distribution; that the task force's attempts at physical and aerial surveillance had been detected and, on occasion, compromised; and that Leon appeared to be coordinating a large shipment of narcotics in the; near future. On September 13, 2000, agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration arrested 23 people, including Leon and Aceves.