September 1999

OPERATION RAMP RATS

The Miami Field Division’s Group 41 ended Operation Ramp Rats I on August 25, 1999, with the arrest of 39 defendants, most of whom were American Airlines employees at Miami International Airport (MIA). At the same time U.S. Customs arrested 13 defendants in a related investigation of Lufthansa Sky Chef food services employees, who were contracted to provide food services to American Airlines. The New York JFK Airport Office also arrested seven defendants associated with American Airlines in a related investigation. In all, 59 individuals associated with American Airlines were arrested on August 25, 1999.

The DEA defendants were ramp workers responsible for baggage, cleaning, fueling, and other services required by American Airlines aircraft. Such employees are nicknamed “ramp rats” within the airline industry. The investigations disclosed large-scale smuggling of heroin and cocaine into the United States by these employees along with the distribution of drugs, weapons and explosives throughout the United States. One significant result of the investigation was the disclosure of serious security breaches at MIA.

Operation Ramp Rats II, also conducted by Group 41, ended a few weeks later, on September 9, 1999, with the arrests by DEA and U.S. Customs of 15 ramp workers associated with airlines other than American Airlines. Further security breaches were disclosed by this operation.

Both operations disrupted several drug trafficking organizations. More importantly, the investigations caused Miami-Dade County to institute immediate security measures at MIA, establishing major obstacles to the smuggling of drugs, weapons, and explosives through the airport. A commission has also been established by Miami-Dade Mayor Alex Penelas to monitor security at the airport and to develop further enhancements to MIA security.

Traffickers used their access to airplanes to smuggle a variety of illegal narcotics.