27 face charges in Mississippi drug-trade ring

Drug Enforcement Administration agents in Mississippi, assisted by local law-enforcement authorities, have arrested 27 persons, confiscated more than $15 million in cocaine and marijuana and seized cash and property worth $3 million as part of a lengthy undercover investigation.

“Operation Central Hub targeted and successfully dismantled one of the largest drug-trafficking operations ever known to operate in the state of Mississippi,” said DEA Assistant Special Agent Stephen Luzinski in the agency’s Jackson, Miss., field office.

“It was especially significant in that agents were able to successfully trace the movement of both drugs and money from the hands of high-level Mississippi traffickers into the hands of some of Mexico’s most powerful drug traffickers,” Mr. Luzinski said.

The Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics initiated the investigation in April 2005 and later joined forces with DEA to jointly start a federal investigation targeting multiple high-priority cocaine and marijuana trafficking distribution cells operating in Hattiesburg and the Jackson-metro area.

DEA spokesman Rusty Payne at the agency’s Washington headquarters, said yesterday that the investigation also yielded criminal links to drug organizations in Dallas; Atlanta; Little Rock, Ark.; Detroit; and Laredo, Texas.

Mr. Payne said Operation Central Hub also produced important connections to Mexico, revealing direct criminal links and associations between select Mississippi organization heads and Mexican drug sources of supply. Texas-based organization members, he said, were found to be functioning as logistics coordinators in arranging the delivery of drug loads from Mexico to Mississippi.

This same group arranged for the collection of money as payment for the drugs, he said.

Through a coordinated multiagency investigative attack, agents uncovered the existence of a highly sophisticated drug-trafficking organization with tentacles across the United States, which routed large shipments of cocaine and marijuana across the border from Mexico into South Texas.

Once inside U.S. borders, Mr. Payne said drug shipments were shuttled from Texas to various cities throughout the nation in 18-wheel commercial tractor trailers operated by truck drivers employed by the Mexican drug bosses.

Investigators also discovered that the organization used large gooseneck trailers outfitted with sophisticated hidden compartments accessible only through a hydraulic remote-control system. The trailers were pulled by dual-wheel pickup trucks and were capable of holding several thousand pounds of marijuana.

Mr. Payne said Dallas, Laredo and San Antonio-based drivers and couriers routinely were dispatched to Mississippi to meet with cell leaders and deliver the drug loads.

As part of a parallel financial investigation, he said, agents discovered that local distributors were normally provided with drug shipments on a consignment basis — meaning that shortly after receipt, the Mexico-based suppliers and Texas logistics coordinators requested cash payment.