(The Center Square) – A Ecuadorian-based cocaine and weapons trafficking ring has been broken up in New York.
The network stretches from Columbia and Peru into Ecuador, then into Mexico, Texas and other southwest border states and to New York, where contraband is shipped to Europe, authorities say. The network has been operating in the U.S. for more than a decade.
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmu:G6 t4F25@C:2? ?2E:@?2=D 92G6 366? :?5:4E65 :? E96 $@FE96C? s:DEC:4E @7 }6H *@C< @? 492C86D @7 4@?DA:C:?8 E@ :>A@CE G2DE BF2?E:E:6D @7 4@42:?6 :?E@ E96 &]$] E9C@F89 E96 ?6EH@C<] k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm%9@D6 :?5:4E65 :?4=F56 2 7@C>6C >6>36C @7 t4F25@C’D }2E:@?2= pDD6>3=J[ 2 7@C>6C t4F25@C:2? >2J@C 2?5 4FCC6?E >2J@C2= 42?5:52E6[ E96 D@? @7 t4F25@C’D 7@C>6C AC6D:56?E[ 2>@?8 @E96CD] k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm%96 =6256CD[ y2:>6 tDEC252 |65C2?52 2?5 9:D 72E96C[ y2:>6 tDEC252 q@?:==2[ EH@ t4F25@C:2? A@=:E:4:2?D[ H6C6 2CC6DE65 }@G] a :? !2?2>2] %9C66 @E96C t4F25@C2?D :?5:4E65[ y24@3@ p352=2 qF42C2>\!F==6J[ v6@G2??J u6C?2?56K |6?6?56K 2?5 (:==:2> y@D6 qC:@?6D {@A6K[ H6C6 2CC6DE65 }@G] c :? t4F25@C[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 :?5:4E>6?E]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmp== 7:G6 t4F25@C2?D 7246 492C86D C6=2E65 E@ :>A@CE:?8 4@42:?6 :?E@ E96 &]$] 2?5 7@C A@DD6DD:?8 >249:?6 8F?D] x7 4@?G:4E65[ E96J 7246 =:76 :? AC:D@?] k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm%96 492C86D C6AC6D6?E “2 4@@C5:?2E65 677@CE E@ 5:D>2?E=6 A@=:E:42= 4@CCFAE:@? 2?5 ?2C4@E:4D EC277:4<:?8 E92E 925 HC62<65 92G@4 :? t4F25@C 2?5 A=28F65 E96 4@F?ECJ H:E9 :?4C62D:?8 G:@=6?46 :? C646?E J62CD[” &]$] pEE@C?6J 7@C E96 $s}* y2>:6 |4s@?2=5 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH];FDE:46]8@G^FD2@\D5?J^AC^64F25@C:2?\A@=:E:4:2?D\3FD:?6DD\6I64FE:G6D\2?5\?2C4@EC277:4<6CD\2CC6DE65\?2C4@E:4DQmkDEC@?8mD2:5k^DEC@?8m]k^2m %96 5676?52?ED “A=2J65 2 4C:E:42= C@=6 :? EC2?D7@C>:?8 E96 4@F?ECJ :?E@ 2 >2;@C EC2?D:E 9F3 7@C f_ A6C46?E @7 E96 4@42:?6 C6249:?8 E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D 2?5 tFC@A6] %96D6 AC@D64FE:@?D 9@=5 244@F?E23=6 A@H6C7F= A@=:E:4:2?D 2?5 ?2C4@EC277:4<6CD 2=:<6 H9@ AC@7:E65 7C@> 2?5 724:=:E2E65 E96 :?E6C?2E:@?2= ?2C4@E:4D EC256 2?5 H9@ 568C2565 t4F25@C’D :?E6C?2= D64FC:EJ]”k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm%96:C 2CC6DED 2?5 :?5:4E>6?ED 4@>6 27E6C E96 %CF>A 25>:?:DEC2E:@? 2??@F?465 2 ?6H :?E6C?2E:@?2= 4@2=:E:@? H:E9 `c 4@F?EC:6D[ :?4=F5:?8 t4F25@C[ E@ E2C86E 42CE6=D 2?5 EC2?D?2E:@?2= 4C:>6 :? E96 (6DE6C? w6>:DA96C6[ %96 r6?E6C $BF2C6 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]E9646?E6CDBF2C6]4@>^?2E:@?2=^2CE:4=60heh_527d\c`27\chgb\37a2\b_5`d`524`75]9E>=QmkDEC@?8mC6A@CE65k^DEC@?8m]k^2m k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm“t4F25@C D:ED 2E E96 962CE @7 E96 8=@32= 4@42:?6 EC256[” |4s@?2=5 D2:5[ :?4=F5:?8 2 >2A @7 E96 EC256 C@FE6D :? 9:D 2??@F?46>6?E] k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm“r@42:?6 EC277:4<6CD @A6C2E:?8 :? t4F25@C 2?5 E96 3C@256C C68:@? 6IA=@:E =682= 4@>>6C4:2= >2C:E:>6 C@FE6D E@ 4@?462= E96:C ?2C4@E:4D[ FD:?8 4@?E2:?6C D9:AD 2?5 @E96C 4@>>6C4:2= G6DD6=D EC2?DA@CE:?8 =68:E:>2E6 4@>>@5:E:6D[ :?4=F5:?8 D627@@5[ 32?2?2D[ E:>36C[ 2?5 >:?6C2=D[ 2D H6== 2D 2? 6IE6?D:G6 ?6EH@C< @7 7:D9:?8 G6DD6=D 2?5 ‘8@\72DE’ 3@2ED[ E@ D>F88=6 4@42:?6 E@ E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D 2?5 @E96C :?E6C?2E:@?2= >2C<6ED]” k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm&]$] rFDE@>D 2?5 q@C56C !C@E64E:@? 2?5 E96 &]$] r@2DE vF2C5 2C6 C68F=2C=J :?E6C46AE:?8 “8@ 72DE” 3@2ED[ 6IA2?5:?8 >2C:E:>6 :?E6C5:4E:@? 677@CED[ %96 r6?E6C $BF2C6 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]E9646?E6CDBF2C6]4@>^?2E:@?2=^2CE:4=607ebbd32`\gcbg\c_`g\25bd\5g4f23dhd6d_]9E>=QmkDEC@?8mC6A@CE65k^DEC@?8m]k^2mk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmt4F25@C2? A@=:E:4:2?D |65C2?52 2?5 q@?:==2 “92G6 =@?8 A2CE?6C65 H:E9 D@>6 @7 E96 C68:@?’D =2C86DE 2?5 >@DE G:@=6?E 5CF8 EC277:4<6CD E@ D9:A >2DD:G6 BF2?E:E:6D @7 4@42:?6 @FE @7 t4F25@C E@ E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D 2?5 6=D6H96C6[ 4@?EC:3FE:?8 E@ E96 56E6C:@C2E:?8 :?E6C?2= D64FC:EJ @7 t4F25@C 2?5 E96 4@CCFAE:@? @7 :ED A@=:E:42= DJDE6>D[” |4s@?2=5 D2:5] k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmx? t4F25@C’D }2E:@?2= pDD6>3=J[ |65C2?52 C6AC6D6?E65 2 5:DEC:4E :? E96 |2?23: !C@G:?46[ :?4=F5:?8 E96 4@2DE2= 4:EJ @7 |2?E2[ @?6 @7 t4F25@C’D =2C86DE A@CED] %96 A@CE :D H96C6 E96 4@F?ECJ’D EF?2 AC@46DD:?8 :?5FDECJ :D 32D65 2?5 :D <?@H? 2D 2 “EC2?D:E A@:?E 7@C E96 8=@32= 4@42:?6 DFAA=J[” |4s@?2=5’D @77:46 D2:5] q@?:==2 H2D E96 7@C>6C >2J@C @7 |2?E2 2?5 H2D E96 7@C>6C AC6D:56?E @7 E96 !@CE pFE9@C:EJ @7 |2?E2] w6 2?5 9:D D@? @H? 2 >2;@C |2?E2\32D65 D627@@5 4@>A2?J 2?5 2? t4F25@C:2? AC@76DD:@?2= D@446C 4=F3] k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmu@C J62CD[ E96J D>F88=65 G2DE BF2?E:E:6D @7 4@42:?6 :? D627@@5 6IA@CED A2CE?6C:?8 H:E9 =2C86\D42=6 5CF8 EC277:4<6CD[ :?4=F5:?8 E96 {@D r9@?6C@D 2?5 {@D {@3@D[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 492C86D] %96 %CF>A 25>:?:DEC2E:@? 56D:8?2E65 E96D6 42CE6=D 2D 7@C6:8? E6CC@C:DE @C82?:K2E:@?D] k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm%96 72E96C 2?5 D@? FD65 :?E6C>65:2C:6D E@ >66E H:E9 5CF8 EC277:4<6CD[ C646:G6 A2J>6?ED 2?5 4@@C5:?2E6 =@8:DE:4D E@ C646:G6[ A24< 2?5 D>F88=6 4@42:?6 @FE @7 t4F25@C[ :?4=F5:?8 :? EF?2 6IA@CED[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 492C86D] ~?6 E96J H@C<65 H:E9 E9:D J62C :D t4F25@C:2? 5CF8 2?5 7:C62C>D EC277:4<6C y24@3@ p352=2 qF42C2>\!F==6J[ E96 7@C>6C t4F25@C:2? AC6D:56?E’D D@?[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 :?5:4E>6?E] %96 2==6865 562= :?G@=G65 D9:AA:?8 2E =62DE EH@ E@?D @7 4@42:?6 E@ C6249 E96 &]$][ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 492C86D] k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm%96 :?5:4E>6?E 2=D@ A@:?ED E@ @E96C 562=D[ :?4=F5:?8 @?6 :? a_ab FD:?8 E96:C D627@@5 6IA@CE:?8 4@>A2?J E@ D9:A E@?\BF2?E:EJ =@25D @7 4@42:?6 @FE @7 t4F25@C:2? D62A@CED[ H9:49 H2D D6:K65 3J E96 t4F25@C:2? }2E:@?2= !@=:46]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm%96 :?5:4E>6?ED 4@>6 27E6C E96 8C62E6DE ?F>36C @7 t4F25@C2?D :==682==J 6?E6C65 E96 &]$] F?56C E96 q:56? 25>:?:DEC2E:@?] pE E96 96:89E @7 E96 3@C56C 4C:D:D :? a_ab[ >@C6 E92? a__[___ t4F25@C2?D H6C6 2=C625J @? E96 5@4<6E E@ 36 56A@CE65 2?5 925?’E J6E 366?[ %96 r6?E6C $BF2C6 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]E9646?E6CDBF2C6]4@>^?2E:@?2=^2CE:4=60dg72_c72\3g3b\``67\ggcc\g7ha5757f6ag]9E>=QmkDEC@?8mC6A@CE65k^DEC@?8m]k^2mk^Am
