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"The most significant drug case of its kind in Chicago history"
August 21, 2009 U.S. indicts 43 in probe of warring Mexican drug cartels
Brothers who ran Chicago hub key to case, sources say
Brothers who ran Chicago hub key to case, sources say
The twin brothers allegedly were living the drug trafficker's dream, operating a lucrative distribution network in Chicago for not one but two Mexican cartels.
But it wouldn't last.
When the cartels began a blood feud in Mexico last year, both warring factions warned distributors including brothers Pedro and Margarito Flores that they had better be loyal -- or else, authorities said.
The brothers, 28, instead began dealing with investigators, according to sources and court records. Their cooperation became a centerpiece in what federal officials called the most significant drug case of its kind in Chicago history.
In a clear sign that the deadly reach of Mexican drug traffickers extends deep into America's heartland, federal prosecutors in Washington and Chicago announced indictments Thursday against more than three dozen individuals. Among them were three international drug kingpins, including Joaquin "el Chapo" Guzman-Loera, a billionaire with a $5 million price on his head who has threatened violence inside the U.S. None of the three is in custody.
The brothers were a key cog in an international network, taking delivery of about 2 tons of cocaine each month as well as large quantities of heroin between 2005 and 2008, authorities said.
Mexican cartel leaders armed with satellite phones used 747s and even a submarine to bring the cocaine from South America to Mexico. Once the drugs got to Illinois, the Flores brothers allegedly set up stash houses all over Chicago and the suburbs while transporting their narcotics around the U.S. in vehicles with hidden compartments.The indictments come as U.S. authorities reinforce warnings that drug-related violence in Mexico, which has already claimed about 4,400 lives this year, threatens to spill over onto American soil as the cartels fight over lucrative distribution routes and markets. The Obama administration has pledged nearly $500 million to provide technology and training to Mexican law enforcement.
"These cartels are not abstract organizations operating in far-off places," U.S. Atty. Gen. Eric Holder said at a news conference in Washington. "They are multibillion-dollar networks funneling drugs onto our streets."
In all, 43 individuals were charged in a string of indictments in New York and Chicago, including 16 people in the Flores organization. The government is seeking forfeiture of more than $5 billion in cash and property.
Other cartel leaders charged were Ismael "el Mayo" Zambada-Garcia and Arturo Beltran-Leyva, who allegedly is running the group that split from "the Federation," the original alliance.
The indictments allege that between 1990 and 2008, the cartels distributed nearly 200 metric tons of cocaine and heroin. Chicago has remained a key location for the organizations, with the Flores group repackaging cocaine for wholesale customers from Philadelphia to Vancouver, prosecutors said.
At a news briefing in Chicago, prosecutors declined to comment on any help the Flores brothers may have given the investigation led by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Internal Revenue Service's criminal investigation division. Court documents in related cases suggest the brothers are being protected, but prosecutors declined to say how long they have been in custody.
Stephen Meiners, tactical analyst for Latin America at STRATFOR, a Texas-based global intelligence company, said there is a risk that the arrest of the Floreses might lead to a violent battle for control of the Chicago distribution network. Chicago police say they have noticed no uptick in drug-related violence connected with the arrests.
Meiners said Chicago is a natural hub for Mexican traffickers because of its central geography and infrastructure, such as the warehouses and highways that the Flores twins allegedly used for distribution. Also, traffickers like working in areas with high Mexican populations because they then have the ability to exert control over their foot soldiers in the U.S. by threatening relatives back in Mexico, Meiners said.
"I think it's almost inevitable that we're going to see escalation on both sides of the border," Meiners said.
"As the cartels extend the geography in fighting over control of territory, the turf wars are going to follow them."
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-dea-drug-cartelsaug21,0,5351221.story
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