Massive Cocaine Ring Smashed After 7 Key Members Are Lured to San Diego

A cocaine ring involving Mexican officials and believed capable of supplying about half the drug consumed in the United States was broken up by luring seven key members here on the pretense of receiving a $1-million payment, authorities said Friday.

Twelve foreign nationals, including five Mexicans with past or present ties to the Mexican government, are accused of operating the ring, U.S. Atty. Peter Nunez said in announcing the unsealing of a 15-count indictment and criminal complaint.

“The thrust of the investigation was to . . . document the flow of narcotics from Bolivia through Central America to the United States,” Nunez said. He said the charges were the result of a six-month undercover probe in which Drug Enforcement Administration agents posed as American drug traffickers.

Charles Hill, special agent in charge of the San Diego DEA office, said he believes the breakup of the ring will at least put a dent in the amount of cocaine reaching the United States.

“This group had the capability of importing about 86 tons of cocaine into this country in a year’s time,” he said. “The DEA estimates that the consumption of cocaine (in the United States) annually is about 150 tons.

“I’m by no means making the statement that we’re cutting the supply in half. (But) I’m very optimistic that you might see some sort of impact as a result of this case.”

Undercover agents for the DEA and the U.S. Customs Service had traveled to Bolivia, Mexico and Panama during the course of the investigation and, Hill said, “We’ve worked right to the very top level.”

Hill said the agents were negotiating a deal for five tons of cocaine that would have cost $25 million. The cocaine was to be flown from Bolivia to the United States via Mexico, where the former and current Mexican officials had promised to use their influence to protect the drug shipment, Hill and Nunez said.

Hill said an initial $500,000 payment was made, followed by the promise of a $1-million down payment. That was what brought the seven people now in custody to San Diego.

Arrested were Efren Mendez-Duenas, 58, a Mexican citizen residing in Bolivia, and Jorge Roman-Salas, 50, a Bolivian citizen. The two were described by authorities as the principal administrators and organizers of the drug enterprise.

Others arrested were Mario Vargas-Brunn, 28; Pablo Giron, 40; Hector Manuel Alvarez-Brumel, 47; Jorge Carranzas, 52, who authorities said is a former Mexican army colonel; Winston Rodriguez, no age available, and Rolando Antonio Ayala, 27.

Among the five fugitives is a Mexican general, Poblano Silva, and a former lieutenant colonel from Mexico, Salvador de la Vega.

The 12 are accused of conspiring to import cocaine and to possess cocaine with intent to distribute it.