News Release [print friendly page]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 22, 2002

Contact: RAC Reginald Cheney
216-522-3705 or Special Agent
David Jacobson 313-234-4220

DEA Cleveland Arrests Major Cocaine Traffickers Connected To Mexico

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Ohio announced the arrest of five people for cocaine trafficking. These arrests involved the delivery of 10 kilograms of cocaine being smuggled from the southwest border of the United States to the Cleveland, Ohio area for distribution. The five persons arrested are identified as:

• Ricardo Madrigal-Magana, 32 yoa, resident of San Diego, California
  
• Jose Maldonado-Tapia, 40 yoa, resident of Tijuana, Mexico
  
• Thomas Aguilar, 25 yoa, resident of Austin, Texas
  
• Nora Aguilar, 28 yoa, resident of Austin, Texas
  
• Demetrius Gibson, 27 yoa, resident of San Diego, California

"This investigation demonstrates the substantial affect law enforcement can have on drug trafficking when agencies coordinate intelligence regionally and nationally. What happens throughout the southwest border of the United States significantly impacts the drug availability situation in Cleveland and elsewhere. This investigation will continue until we are satisfied that this organization has been completely dismantled," stated Special Agent in Charge Michael A. Braun of the DEA Detroit Field Division, which oversees DEA offices in Ohio, Michigan and Kentucky.

This investigation was initiated by the Texas Department of Public Safety and coordinated with the Drug Enforcement Administration. The DEA Cleveland Task Force, which is comprised of numerous law enforcement agencies from the Cleveland area, successfully completed a controlled delivery of the cocaine to the subjects in Cleveland on November 21, 2002.

"This is a sophisticated cocaine organization capable of supplying the Cleveland area with significant quantities of cocaine from the southwest United States," stated Reginald Cheney, Resident Agent in Charge for the DEA Cleveland Office.

The arrested suspects will be charged in U.S. District Court with violation of Title 21 United States Code, Sections 841 and 846, Possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and Conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.