Operation Panama Express
Encyclopedia
Operation Panama Express is a long-running Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) comprising participants from the Drug Enforcement Administration
, the Federal Bureau of Investigation
, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the United States Coast Guard
and the United States Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Florida.
According to a March 2006 Congressional testimony by DEA Chief of Operations Michael Braun, Operation Panama Express has resulted in the seizure of 350 metric tons (392 tons) of cocaine and the arrests of 1,107 individuals. The OCDETF is based in Tampa, Florida and focuses primarily on interrupting cocaine shipments en route from South America
, especially Colombia
.
On September 13, 2008 the U.S. Coast Guard captured a narco submarine
about 563 kilometres (349.8 mi) west of Guatemala
; it was carrying seven tons of cocaine. The 59-foot-long, steel and fiberglass craft was detected by a U.S. Navy aircraft as part of Operation Panama Express.
kingpin Joaquin Mario Valencia-Trujillo. Valencia was arrested on January 31, 2003 in Bogota
, Colombia and extradited in 2004 to the United States. The lead witness in Valencia's trial was Jose Castrillon-Henao, a former Cali cartel
maritime smuggling chief who became an FBI informant in 1999. Valencia was sentenced to a prison term of 40 years and ordered to forfeit $110 million.
April 16th, 2005 Cocaine Seizure detailed in Coast Guard Magazine (April 27th, 2005): http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0PBY/is_2005_June/ai_n15378876
U.S. Dept. of Treasury names Trujillo Specially Designated Narcotics Trafficker (March 27th, 2003): http://www.ustreas.gov/press/releases/js138.htm
WTOP: "Testimony Begins in Alleged Kingpin Trial" (July 10th, 2006):
The Tampa Tribune: Former Principal details drug trade (July 13th, 2006):
The Tampa Tribune: "Trial Offers 'Miami Vice' Scenario" (July 5th, 2006): http://www.tbo.com/news/metro/MGB4B9J09PE.html
The Tampa Tribune: "The Confidential Witness" (July 10th, 2006): http://www.tbo.com/news/metro/MGBLGFLFGPE.html
The St. Petersburg Times: "Drug Trial Could Shake Colombia" (July 9th, 2006): http://www.sptimes.com/2006/07/09/Tampabay/Drug_trial_could_shak.shtml
Drug Enforcement Administration
The Drug Enforcement Administration is a federal law enforcement agency under the United States Department of Justice, tasked with combating drug smuggling and use within the United States...
, the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the United States Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
and the United States Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Florida.
According to a March 2006 Congressional testimony by DEA Chief of Operations Michael Braun, Operation Panama Express has resulted in the seizure of 350 metric tons (392 tons) of cocaine and the arrests of 1,107 individuals. The OCDETF is based in Tampa, Florida and focuses primarily on interrupting cocaine shipments en route from South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, especially Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
.
On September 13, 2008 the U.S. Coast Guard captured a narco submarine
Narco submarine
A narco-submarine is a type of custom-made ocean-going self-propelled submersible vessel built by drug traffickers to smuggle drugs. They are especially known to be used by Colombian drug cartel members to export cocaine from Colombia to Mexico, which is often then transported overland to the...
about 563 kilometres (349.8 mi) west of Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
; it was carrying seven tons of cocaine. The 59-foot-long, steel and fiberglass craft was detected by a U.S. Navy aircraft as part of Operation Panama Express.
Joaquin Mario Valencia-Trujillo
The most notable individual arrested as a result of Operation Panama Express is Colombian Cali cartelCali Cartel
The Cali Cartel was a drug cartel based in southern Colombia, around the city of Cali and the Valle del Cauca Department. The Cali Cartel was founded by the Rodríguez Orejuela brothers, Gilberto and Miguel, as well as associate José Santacruz Londoño...
kingpin Joaquin Mario Valencia-Trujillo. Valencia was arrested on January 31, 2003 in Bogota
Bogotá
Bogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...
, Colombia and extradited in 2004 to the United States. The lead witness in Valencia's trial was Jose Castrillon-Henao, a former Cali cartel
Cali Cartel
The Cali Cartel was a drug cartel based in southern Colombia, around the city of Cali and the Valle del Cauca Department. The Cali Cartel was founded by the Rodríguez Orejuela brothers, Gilberto and Miguel, as well as associate José Santacruz Londoño...
maritime smuggling chief who became an FBI informant in 1999. Valencia was sentenced to a prison term of 40 years and ordered to forfeit $110 million.
External links
Congressional Testimony by Michael Braun (March 30th, 2006): http://www.dea.gov/pubs/cngrtest/ct033006.htmlApril 16th, 2005 Cocaine Seizure detailed in Coast Guard Magazine (April 27th, 2005): http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0PBY/is_2005_June/ai_n15378876
U.S. Dept. of Treasury names Trujillo Specially Designated Narcotics Trafficker (March 27th, 2003): http://www.ustreas.gov/press/releases/js138.htm
WTOP: "Testimony Begins in Alleged Kingpin Trial" (July 10th, 2006):
- http://www.wtopnews.com/index.php?nid=104&sid=728605
The Tampa Tribune: Former Principal details drug trade (July 13th, 2006):
- http://news.tbo.com/news/metro/MGBBX90LKPE.html
The Tampa Tribune: "Trial Offers 'Miami Vice' Scenario" (July 5th, 2006): http://www.tbo.com/news/metro/MGB4B9J09PE.html
The Tampa Tribune: "The Confidential Witness" (July 10th, 2006): http://www.tbo.com/news/metro/MGBLGFLFGPE.html
The St. Petersburg Times: "Drug Trial Could Shake Colombia" (July 9th, 2006): http://www.sptimes.com/2006/07/09/Tampabay/Drug_trial_could_shak.shtml