Arrest of "narco" network members between Mexico, Canada and California

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Thirteen suspects of integrating a traffic network of cocaine, heroin and methamphetamines that were sold from Mexico to southern California and from there to Canada were arrested and must appear at a court in California on Thursday, the authorities.

The defendants are members of "international drug trafficking organizations that worked together to mobilize large quantities" of drugs, Nicola Hanna, a prosecutor for the Central District of California, said in a statement.

Following a court decision that ordered the total arrest of 30 suspects of joining the network, the operation managed to seize almost 1,000 pounds (453 kg) of cocaine, 20 pounds (9.7 kg) of heroin, more than 100 pounds ( 45 kg) of "ecstasy" (MDMA), in addition to the equivalent of 811,000 dollars in Canadian currency.

The drug, according to the research, was exchanged for cash or large amounts of "ecstasy" from Canada, in cities such as Costa Mesa, Compton, Ventura and Redlands.
Part of this drug was also sent to Australia from California.

According to Hanna, the drug trafficking operation used members of criminal organizations in Canada, Mexico, Serbia, China and Sudan.

The accusation explained that drug traffickers used modified cell phones, with military-grade encrypted systems, to communicate information and orders regarding operations.

The detainees, three from the Los Angeles area and the others arrested in Seattle and several locations in Canada, are scheduled to have a preliminary hearing today at the Los Angeles District Court.

If convicted of all charges, the defendants face a maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a minimum of 10 years in federal prison.

The investigation was a joint work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service (ICE).

These entities also had the support of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and that of local authorities from several Canadian and Canadian cities.