FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE [printer friendly page]
June 7, 2004

Major Cartel Lieutenants
Arrested in Mexico

DEA Administrator Karen P. Tandy, along with U.S. Marshal Service Director Benigno Reyna and FBI Acting Assistant Director, Criminal Investigative Division, Joseph R. Lewis, today announced the arrests of two key members of the ARELLANO-FELIX criminal organization (AFO).

On Thursday, June 3, 2004, in an impressive show of force, 67 specially trained Mexican Federal Agents affected the arrests of AFO lieutenants: Efrain Perez (photo) and Jorge AURELIANO-Felix (photo). The operation was remarkably executed without incident considering the AFO’s propensity for violence.

Known as “Operation United Eagles”, the coordinated actions of the U.S. and Mexican law enforcement authorities seeks to severely cripple the AFO, which carried out dozens of murders and kidnappings over the past several years. Law enforcement authorities also believe that the organization has corrupted state and municipal police officers, and federal police officials.

"The ARELLANO-FELIX organization is now in ruins – one of its leaders is in jail, one is dead, and with these arrests, two of their criminal viceroys will be brought to justice. Along with our partners in Mexican law enforcement, we are keeping our promise to hold these kingpins accountable and sending a clear message to any who follow them: 'You're not safe -- you're next," said Administrator Tandy.

Operation United Eagles was initiated in July 2003, combining the efforts of the governments of Mexico and the United States to aggressively pursue, locate, and apprehend indicted Consolidated Priority Organization Targets (CPOTs) including Eduardo and Javier ARELLANO-Felix and other members of the AFO operating or living within the United States and Mexico. The United States Government has offered a reward of up to five million dollars for information leading to their arrest.

“This operation shows that by combining the investigative efforts and expertise of the DEA, the United States Marshals Service and Mexican law enforcement agencies, we can and will apprehend and bring to justice upper echelon members of this cartel. We are sending a message to all narcotics traffickers; you will be indicted, you will be arrested and your illegal organizations will be dismantled,” said U.S. Marshals Director Reyna.

Joseph R. Lewis, Acting Assistant Director, Criminal Investigative Division, Federal Bureau of Investigation also emphasized the importance of law enforcement cooperation, “Operation United Eagles is a powerful example of the combined efforts of our partners in U.S. and Mexican drug law enforcement. The coordinated effort of the U.S. and Mexican law enforcement agencies to aggressively locate and arrest key leaders of the Arellano Felix drug trafficking organization will have a measurable and historic impact on international drug law enforcement.”

The AFO transported and distributed multi-ton quantities of cocaine and marijuana, as well as significant quantities of heroin and methamphetamine through Tijuana to the San Diego, CA area. They utilized a myriad of smuggling methods including sending numerous small loads known as shotguning, concealing loads in commercial and passenger vehicles, couriers who concealed smaller amounts on their persons, transportation through underground tunnels, and body carriers riding on commercial buses.

Mexican Agents arrested two key AFO lieutenants: Efrain Perez, who directed and supervised the AFO’s counterintelligence programs for the AFO and was involved in multiple kidnappings and assassinations, and Jorge AURELIANO-Felix, a former Mexican police officer who conducted security operations, coordinated acquisition of armored vehicles and weapons, and collected taxes on behalf of the AFO from independent drug traffickers operating in Tijuana.

Both Perez and Aureliano-Felix face charges in Mexico and the United States. This operation also resulted in the arrest of seven additional organization members; Jose Luis NUNEZ-Avelar (photo), Antonio GUTIERREZ-Atienzo, Enrique LOPEZ-Ruiz (photo), Juan Francisco OCHOA-Castillo (photo), Alfonso ESCOBEDO-Villalaso (aka-RAMBO--AFO transportation cell head/advisor) (photo), Jose Manuel AYALA-Mora (photo), and Alberto Antonio Gomez.

Other AFO leaders remain at large, including Eduardo ARELLANO- Felix, Javier ARELLANO- Felix, Gilberto HIGUERA-Guerrero, Gustavo RIVERA-Martinez, and Manuel AGUIRRE-Galindo.

DEA has systematically pursued members of the AFO since the 1980’s. Seven brothers and four sisters of the ARELLANO-FELIX family, inherited the Tijuana Cartel from Miguel Angel Felix Gallardo in 1989, after his arrest for drug trafficking. Gallardo has been indicted in the U.S. for his involvement in the torture and brutal murder of DEA Special Agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena.

For the past decade, the AFO is alleged to have operated one of the world’s most violent criminal drug trafficking organizations. It is believed to have been responsible for the brutal execution of special prosecutor Jose "Pepe" Patino Moreno and two of his colleagues. According to Mexican investigators, Patino, a special prosecutor targeting the AFO for the Mexican Attorney General's drug unit and two fellow agents endured brutal torture by medieval methods. The AFO is also accused of recruiting, training, and arming groups of bodyguards and assassins who were responsible for protecting their leaders.

Law enforcement intelligence shows that the AFO is responsible for more than 100 drug-related murders in the United States and Mexico including rival drug traffickers, suspected cooperators, uncooperative Mexican law enforcement and military personnel, and members of the Mexican news media who printed stories unfavorable to the AFO.

DEA has set up the following tip lines to receive AFO information:

Email address: afotips@usdoj.gov

Toll free hotline (in the U.S.): 1-800-720-7775

Toll free hotline (in Mexico.): 001-858-277-4215

For additional information, please contact DEA Public Affairs at 202-307-7977.

Participating agencies include:

Efrain Perez Arciniega	Jose Luis Nuñez Avelar	Juan Francisco Ochoa Castillo
Jorge Aureliano Felix	Jose Manuel Ayala Mora	Enrique Lopez Ruiz
Alfonso Escobedo Villalaso