Pubdate: Wed, 12 Jan 2005
Source: Arizona Republic (AZ)
Copyright: 2005 The Arizona Republic
Contact:  http://www.arizonarepublic.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/24
Author: Judi Villa

18 HOMES RAIDED IN DRUG-TRAFFICKING CASE

Phoenix police raided 18 Valley homes before dawn Tuesday, rounding up 
people suspected of being members of a violent drug-trafficking 
organization that has been funneling massive quantities of marijuana from 
Mexico to the East Coast.

The organization has been linked to a murder, a home invasion robbery and a 
shootout at a carwash, highlighting the increasing violence that is 
becoming associated with marijuana smuggling and is spilling into Valley 
neighborhoods.

"Over the years we've become complacent that there's no violence associated 
with marijuana. I'm here to tell you there's a lot of violence attached to 
it," Phoenix police Sgt. Mike Torres said. advertisement

"When it's dry or it's in between (harvesting) seasons, we're seeing people 
(steal) from people. Whoever gets in the way, they don't care. The almighty 
dollar pushes them to the violent extreme."

Perhaps just as alarming, police say they also are seeing more teens swept 
into drug smuggling, partly because it's perceived they will be treated 
less harshly in the criminal justice system. Among the 18 suspects arrested 
Tuesday was a 17-year-old boy who reportedly was involved in just about 
every facet of the drug operations, from running drugs to packaging them to 
collecting money from buyers.

Assistant Phoenix Police Chief Kevin Robinson called the trend "utterly 
disgusting."

"There's a whole lot of money involved," Robinson said, "and people will do 
a lot for money."

Since police began targeting the organization nine months ago, nearly 
12,000 pounds of marijuana has been seized, as well as $352,000 cash and 
weapons. Detectives say Tuesday's raid crippled the entire Phoenix leg of 
the operation.

"It's scary to know it was that big of a deal with that much drugs," said 
Walt Welker, who lives near a Glendale home that was raided. "It's scary to 
think of what could have happened."

The investigation, funded by the state Attorney General's Office and worked 
with the Drug Enforcement Agency, was sparked by a neighbor's tip about a 
home near Phoenix's Encanto Park that led to the seizure of nearly 4,200 
pounds of marijuana in April.

"Any time you get somebody that's holding 4,000 pounds, you know you have 
the potential for big things down the line," Detective Rich Lebel said. 
"Not just any run-of-the-mill drug dealer is going to have their hands on 
4,000 pounds."

Police found the organization was smuggling hundreds, sometimes thousands, 
of pounds of marijuana at a time through Arizona's porous border. The pot 
went to stash houses in Phoenix where it was repackaged for distribution to 
half a dozen eastern cities, including New York, Philadelphia and St. Louis.

It's a lucrative trade, and police worry the accompanying violence will 
parallel that associated with human smuggling. The wholesale price for a 
pound of pot in the Valley is about $500. Once the drug is transported to 
the East Coast, the price triples.

"This case tragically shows how the violence associated with the sale of 
illegal drugs endangers not just those who deal drugs but also innocent 
people," Attorney General Terry Goddard said in a statement.

Outside her Glendale home Tuesday, Cathy Williams watched police haul 
nearly 200 pounds of marijuana from a neighbor's garage. She had waved to 
the people at the home and noticed cars coming and going, but she hadn't 
realized what was going on.

"It was incredible," Williams said. "We thought they were renovating the 
home and getting ready to move in."
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