MIAMI – A port security initiative has led to the indictment of 10 people in an international drug smuggling ring, including six Miami longshoremen who used their access to unload the cocaine, heroin and marijuana, federal officials said Wednesday.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director John Morton said the case serves to highlight the work of 21 multi-agency task forces around the country, led by ICE, focused on disrupting large-scale criminal activity at seaports and border entry points nationwide.
It's particularly important, he said, to root out corrupt employees and government officials who help smugglers, illicit arms dealers, money launderers and possibly even terrorists move around the world.
"The system must have integrity. Internal corruption of any kind cannot be tolerated," Morton said at a news conference with other South Florida law enforcement officials. "Our ports are open for business, but only for legitimate business."
The Miami indictment unsealed Wednesday charged the longshoremen and their confederates with moving about $6 million worth of cocaine, heroin and marijuana from Costa Rica, Panama and Jamaica between 2007 and 2010. Most of the drugs were hidden inside shipping containers and often hand-carried by the longshoremen out of the port and sold on the street, said U.S. Attorney Willy Ferrer.
Since its inception in October 2009, the ICE task force in South Florida has arrested more than 140 people and seized nearly six tons of cocaine, four tons of marijuana, 16 weapons and $175,000 in cash linked to criminal activity.
"Where there's smuggling, that weakens our border and threatens our security," Ferrer said.
Seven of those named in the new indictment were in custody Wednesday pending bail hearings Friday. Three others remained at large.
Morton said there are now 11 similar task forces along the Southwest border, three along the border with Canada, six at seaports and one in Mexico City. He said four more seaports will be added this year: New York, San Francisco, Honolulu and Norfolk, Va.
