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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 21, 2003
Captured:
Mexican Cartel Boss Osiel Cardenas-Guillen Violent Criminal had Threatened
Federal Agents
March
21 - One of the most wanted, feared, and violent drug traffickers in the
world was captured on March 14th by law enforcement in Mexico. Osiel Cardenas-Guillen
was head of a major Mexican drug trafficking organization that controlled
large-scale marijuana and cocaine trafficking from Mexico to the United
States.
The Cardenas-Guillen
organization, formerly known as the Gulf Cartel, was responsible for the
transportation of thousands of kilograms of drugs into the United States
from Colombia through Mexico's Northeastern region. Moreover, millions
of dollars returned to the drug traffickers through the same corridor.
Through the combined efforts with the Government of Mexico, the DEA, FBI,
and U.S. Customs, the Cardenas-Guillen reign on the Northeastern Mexico
corridor came to a halt Friday March 14, 2003.
This
investigation, called "Operation Golden Grips" is an important
arrest because it sends a message to traffickers that violence and intimidation
will not protect them from law enforcement. The catalyst of this operation
was the November, 1999, assault and attempted kidnapping of 2 U.S. Federal
agents and a confidential source. On that day, CARDENAS-Guillen and twelve
to fifteen members of his organization surrounded, assaulted, and attempted
to kidnap a DEA Agent and an FBI Agent.
Photos courtesy of Televisa Mexico
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