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US and Australian authorities intercept 1.7 tons of methamphetamine bound for Australia from Los Angeles/Long Beach Seaport
[ICE Newsroom] LOS ANGELES ‐ A joint collaborative effort between U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and members of HSI’s Border Enforcement Security Task Force (BEST), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Field Operations, and Australian federal authorities resulted in the seizure of a mixed narcotic load of methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin weighing in a more than 1.7 tons and artfully concealed within a shipment of loud speakers and destined for Australia.As a result of the investigation, Australian Federal Police (AFP) yesterday arrested two U.S. citizens and four Australian citizens allegedly involved with the U.S.-based transnational crime syndicate suspected of conducting the record-making shipment. The drugs, which consisted of three containers targeted for inspection, were seized at the Los Angeles/Long Beach seaport by officers with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on January 11 ‐ intercepting the shipment before it could reach Australian shores. There’s no question that the criminal organization behind this scheme has been dealt a significant blow, said Joseph Macias, Special Agent-In-Charge for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Los Angeles. "Along with our law enforcement partners here and around the world, we continue in a day-to-day battle against the blight of methamphetamine that continues to devastate our communities. Through a collaborative effort ‐ pooling our information, resources and expertise ‐ we are keeping this dangerous contraband from reaching our streets and potentially saving lives." "This is an extraordinary example of the superb and effective collaboration between CBP, HSI, DHS and Australian law enforcement partners in targeting an international high-scale narcotics operation, and the unity of effort in protecting our communities from the irreversible harm of harsh drugs like methamphetamine," said Carlos C. Martel, CBP Director of Field Operations in Los Angeles. The investigation began when the Australian agents assigned to the Joint Organized Crime Task Force (JOCTF) alerted Homeland Security Investigations special agents about a planned large-scale drug importation by a suspected drug smuggling group operating out of California.
The investigation appeared to reveal cooperation between Mexican cartels and Australian biker gangs, developing what authorities say is a worrying new vector for drugs to arrive to Australia. "This is a serious warning, we now believe the Mexican cartels are actively targeting Australia," said Assistant Commissioner Bruce Hill of the Australian Federal Police. "They have been sending smaller amounts over the years, this is now flagging their intent. Australia is now being targeted," he said. "The cartel is one of the most powerful and violent drug trafficking syndicates in the world," he said, without naming the cartel involved. Hill pointed to high Australian street prices and prevalent drug use as a "drawcard" for organised crime. Colombian and Mexican cartels have long looked to local partners to open new markets for their produce and shift legal risk. Australian police indicated that the country's biker gangs, with deep involvement in organised crime, were willing interlocutors.
Posted by: Besoeker 2019-02-09 |
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