A major drug bust on the Maryland Eastern Shore, Virginia and Delaware saw more than a dozen arrests yielding large amounts of cocaine, ecstasy and heroin. Delmarva Public Media's Kevin Diaz reports the arrests are connected to an international drug cartel.
Kevin Diaz:
The bust came after authorities detected an 18 wheeler full of drugs making a long haul trip from southern California. Its cargo was offloaded at a truck stop in Laurel, Delaware on the Eastern Shore. From there, the cops tracked it to storage locations around Salisbury and Ocean City, Maryland.
It ended with one of the biggest drug busts in Eastern Shore history.
Worcester Sheriff Matthew Crisafulli:
We're here today to announce the successful completion of a well coordinated, multi-agency drug enforcement operation that led to significant seizures of illegal narcotics. Multiple arrests. As you can see,
Kevin Diaz:
That was Worcester County Sheriff Matthew Crisafulli at a major law enforcement press conference Tuesday. It was attended by local, state and federal agents, as well as Maryland Governor Wes Moore. It was a scene more reminiscent of a big city like Baltimore, Philadelphia, or Washington. Not the rural Eastern Shore. On display were 42 kilos of cocaine, crack, fentanyl,methamphetamines, $23,000 in cash and guns. The contraband was allegedly taken off more than a dozen suspects who have been arrested so far. All now face charges. The haul came after a 15-month multi-agency investigation involving surveillance, undercover operations, and wiretapping.
Standing in the Wicomico County Sheriff's Office next to Sheriff, Mike Lewis, was the governor. He thanked the police and said the bust could have regional implications.
Gov. Wes Moore:
Not just one of the largest cocaine seizures in the history of Wicomico County, but one of the most important seizures that we've seen throughout the state of Maryland. And it highlights why today is not just an important and a good day for Wicomico County. And it's not just an important and a good day for the state of Maryland. What this team and what these individuals and everybody who's worked in this case has accomplished, this was a good day for the United States of America.
Kevin Diaz:
Mike Lewis, the Wicomico County Sheriff, said the drug operation was part of the Jalisco drug Organization, one of the most feared cartels in Mexico.
Wicomico Sheriff Mike Lewis:
We'd heard of the Sinaloa (cartel) in this area, but we had never heard of Jalisco cartel in this area until this investigation commenced. And we were rattled by that, quite frankly, because they're the most violent cartel out there. The Jalisco cartel is a very, very violent cartel. To think that they were bringing this kind of product into the Eastern Shore of Maryland is very troubling and eye opening.
Kevin Diaz:
Officials said the involvement of an international criminal organization raises the stakes for law enforcement. Here's Christopher Goumenis of the DEA's Washington Field office.
DEA Agent Christopher Goumenis:
The president has deemed them to be a foreign terrorist organization. Yes, Marylanders, you have terrorist organizations in your community.
Kevin Diaz:
While the quantity of drugs making their way to the Eastern shore might seem shocking, law enforcement experts say the market for illicit drugs makes no distinction between urban and rural communities. Retired Baltimore and Maryland state police official Stanford Franklin, an ex undercover officer, said no one should be surprised. He said Eastern Shore law enforcement has seen drug shipments arriving from the South on Route 13 and from the West on Route 50 going back decades.
Ex-undercover cop Stanford Franklin:
I mean, it's nothing new. As long as you can make so much money selling illegal drugs, people are going to pop up everywhere to do it. I think the main difference that we see today is the cartels are involved in a lot of the smuggling today, setting up shop in, whether it's large cities, Chicago, Baltimore, New York, you name it. They're also setting up shops in small town, USA, Salisbury, Berlin, you name it, they're everywhere.
Kevin Diaz:
As long as there's money and a demand for illicit drugs, Franklin said, there will always be a supply. Reporting from Salisbury, Maryland. This is Kevin Diaz for Delmarva Public Media.
