'Operation Lightning Bolt' Strikes at Violent Street Narcotics Organizations in Miami
MIAMI, Dec. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- R. Alexander Acosta, United States Attorney
for the Southern District of Florida; Katherine Fernandez Rundell, Miami-Dade
State Attorney; Julie Torres, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol.
Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Chief John F. Timoney, City of Miami Police
Department; Mark R. Trouville, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement
Administration; and Christina Pharo, United States Marshal, United States
Marshals Service, announced today the federal indictment of 12 members of a
local street narcotics organization in Phase II of Operation Lightning Bolt.
Phase I of this Operation was concluded on December 1, 2005, and resulted in
the drug-related arrests of 20 individuals and the execution of 16 search
warrants throughout the City of Miami.
To date, approximately 60 defendants have been charged with narcotics
trafficking, federal firearms violations, and related crimes. Of these, 42
defendants have been charged federally. In addition, approximately 515 grams
of crack cocaine, 700 grams of powder cocaine, more than $50,000 in cash, and
an arsenal of firearms and ammunition have been seized. The seized firearms
include a sawed off shotgun, an AK-47 assault rifle, and an Uzi rifle. These
weapons were used by the defendants to intimidate and attack rival dealers and
others.
Operation Lightning Bolt, conducted under the Project Safe Neighborhood/Violent Crime Impact Team Task Force, showcased the effectiveness of federal and local cooperation to reduce drug-related violent crimes in city streets. The United States Attorney's Office intends to use this as a model operation, to be duplicated in other parts of the Southern District that are seized by similar levels of street violence.
United States Attorney Acosta stated, "It is time for us to reclaim our
streets from drug dealers, their guns, and their violence. The prosecutions
resulting from Operation Lightning Bolt is a good first step. We have
reclaimed these neighborhoods and made them safer by effectively dismantling
several street level drug organizations that did business through fear,
violence, and intimidation. Going forward, we hope to partner with other
cities in South Florida to conduct similar local impact operations to sap the
violence from our streets."
"Effective law enforcement depends on the successful partnership of all
parts of the law enforcement community, state, federal and local. Operation
Lightning Bolt's successful attack on dangerous drug organizations shows what
the combination of the State Attorney's Office, the United States Attorney's
Office, the City of Miami Police Department, the ATF, the DEA and United
States Marshall Service can do to help combat the scourge of drugs and
violence in this community," said Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine
Fernandez Rundle. "Working together like well-oiled machines makes us all
better able to protect our communities."
ATF Miami Special Agent in Charge Julie Torres said, "This investigation
is a national model for ATF's Violent Crime Impact Teams and what they are
designed to do. Through law enforcement partnerships, we were able to
dismantle violent criminal organizations that have plagued Miami for some
time. By arresting these individuals, we have taken the first steps in
returning the streets of Miami to its residents."
Miami Police Chief John Timoney added, "Law enforcement partnerships, as
so beautifully demonstrated in this operation, are absolutely essential to
successful crime fighting in the 21st century."
"With these arrests, the streets of Miami are safer today. DEA is
committed to ridding communities of drugs and the violence that accompanies
this death trade," said DEA Special Agent in Charge Mark R. Trouville. "We
stand together with our federal and local partners in law enforcement to make
our communities safer."
Mr. Acosta commended the efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco,
Firearms and Explosives, Drug Enforcement Administration, United States
Marshals Service, and the City of Miami Police Department, and the various
other State and local law enforcement agencies involved in the case. These
cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Melissa
Damian, Anthony Lacosta, Nathaniel Mendell, Jonathan Lopez and Assistant
Miami-Dade State Attorneys Frank Ledee and Christina Miranda.
for the Southern District of Florida; Katherine Fernandez Rundell, Miami-Dade
State Attorney; Julie Torres, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol.
Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Chief John F. Timoney, City of Miami Police
Department; Mark R. Trouville, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement
Administration; and Christina Pharo, United States Marshal, United States
Marshals Service, announced today the federal indictment of 12 members of a
local street narcotics organization in Phase II of Operation Lightning Bolt.
Phase I of this Operation was concluded on December 1, 2005, and resulted in
the drug-related arrests of 20 individuals and the execution of 16 search
warrants throughout the City of Miami.
To date, approximately 60 defendants have been charged with narcotics
trafficking, federal firearms violations, and related crimes. Of these, 42
defendants have been charged federally. In addition, approximately 515 grams
of crack cocaine, 700 grams of powder cocaine, more than $50,000 in cash, and
an arsenal of firearms and ammunition have been seized. The seized firearms
include a sawed off shotgun, an AK-47 assault rifle, and an Uzi rifle. These
weapons were used by the defendants to intimidate and attack rival dealers and
others.
Operation Lightning Bolt, conducted under the Project Safe Neighborhood/Violent Crime Impact Team Task Force, showcased the effectiveness of federal and local cooperation to reduce drug-related violent crimes in city streets. The United States Attorney's Office intends to use this as a model operation, to be duplicated in other parts of the Southern District that are seized by similar levels of street violence.
United States Attorney Acosta stated, "It is time for us to reclaim our
streets from drug dealers, their guns, and their violence. The prosecutions
resulting from Operation Lightning Bolt is a good first step. We have
reclaimed these neighborhoods and made them safer by effectively dismantling
several street level drug organizations that did business through fear,
violence, and intimidation. Going forward, we hope to partner with other
cities in South Florida to conduct similar local impact operations to sap the
violence from our streets."
"Effective law enforcement depends on the successful partnership of all
parts of the law enforcement community, state, federal and local. Operation
Lightning Bolt's successful attack on dangerous drug organizations shows what
the combination of the State Attorney's Office, the United States Attorney's
Office, the City of Miami Police Department, the ATF, the DEA and United
States Marshall Service can do to help combat the scourge of drugs and
violence in this community," said Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine
Fernandez Rundle. "Working together like well-oiled machines makes us all
better able to protect our communities."
ATF Miami Special Agent in Charge Julie Torres said, "This investigation
is a national model for ATF's Violent Crime Impact Teams and what they are
designed to do. Through law enforcement partnerships, we were able to
dismantle violent criminal organizations that have plagued Miami for some
time. By arresting these individuals, we have taken the first steps in
returning the streets of Miami to its residents."
Miami Police Chief John Timoney added, "Law enforcement partnerships, as
so beautifully demonstrated in this operation, are absolutely essential to
successful crime fighting in the 21st century."
"With these arrests, the streets of Miami are safer today. DEA is
committed to ridding communities of drugs and the violence that accompanies
this death trade," said DEA Special Agent in Charge Mark R. Trouville. "We
stand together with our federal and local partners in law enforcement to make
our communities safer."
Mr. Acosta commended the efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco,
Firearms and Explosives, Drug Enforcement Administration, United States
Marshals Service, and the City of Miami Police Department, and the various
other State and local law enforcement agencies involved in the case. These
cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Melissa
Damian, Anthony Lacosta, Nathaniel Mendell, Jonathan Lopez and Assistant
Miami-Dade State Attorneys Frank Ledee and Christina Miranda.
posted by Marko at 12/15/2005 09:39:00 AM
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