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The Sculpin
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Anybody know the boat Dock Holliday out of La Paz?
Associated Press
Feds Arrest Mexican Drug Kingpin
By MICHAEL J. SNIFFEN , 08.16.2006, 01:41 PM
Federal law enforcement agents arrested Mexican drug lord Francisco Javier Arellano-Felix, a leader of a major violent gang responsible for digging
elaborate tunnels to smuggle drugs under the U.S. border, a Justice Department official said Wednesday.
The federal law enforcement official added that Arellano-Felix, 37, was captured by the U.S. Coast Guard Monday while he was deep sea fishing abroad a
sport fishing boat, the Dock Holiday, off the coast of Mexico's Baja California peninsula.
He is wanted in both the United States and Mexico for his role as a leader in the violent and sophisticated Tijuana-based Arellano-Felix gang, which
includes seven brothers and four sisters from the Arellano family.
The law enforcement official said two suspected assassins for the gang were among the eight adults and three juveniles on the boat.
The Justice official and the federal law enforcement official requested anonymity because the arrest had not yet been officially announced.
The Arellano-Felix gang is one of the three large Mexican drug cartels, along with the Gulf Cartel and the Federacion. The Arellano-Felix gang is
believed to be responsible for the massive, sophisticated drug tunnels discovered last January.
The tunnels ended in a warehouse in Otey Mesa, Calif., just south of San Diego. The DEA says the gang is also responsible for multiple murders and the
smuggling of tons of marijuana, cocaine, heroin and methamphetamines over the last decade.
Federal agents began preparing for the operation 14 months ago after learning that Arellano-Felix was planning to go fishing aboard the vessel off La
Paz, Mexico, the law enforcement official said. They enlisted the help of the Coast Guard in mounting the operation.
The Justice Department called an afternoon news conference with Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty, Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Thad Allen, and
Drug Enforcement Administration Chief of Operations Michael Braun to announce what it called "the arrest of a high-profile narcotics target."
Arellano-Felix was named in a federal indictment that was unsealed in California in July, 2003. The indictment charged him with participating in a
drug trafficking conspiracy. The State Department has offered $5 million rewards for the capture of him or his brother Eduardo.
Javier Arellano-Felix was charged in Mexico in 1993 with conspiring to assassinate Roman Catholic Cardinal Juan Posadas Ocampo, U.S. officials said.
The suspected Arellano-Felix assassins captured with Javier were identified as Arturo Villareal-Heredia and Marco "El Catoro" Fernandez, the law
enforcement official said.
Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed
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Cincodemayo
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Should have just sent a drone with a hellfire missile to erradicate the scum....but nevertheless congrats to law officials!
[Edited on 8-16-2006 by Cincodemayo]
Don\'t get mad...
Get EVEN.
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Cypress
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Hellfire missles? Good idea Cinco! Other than having the juvies onboard it would be a simple solution. Talk about a chum slick!
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JESSE
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Cincodemayo
Should have just sent a drone with a hellfire missile to erradicate the scum....but nevertheless congrats to law officials!
[Edited on 8-16-2006 by Cincodemayo] |
I think the live capture was better, it will send an example, it will provide tons of intelligence, and it will be nice to see him in orange jumpsuits
for a change.
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JESSE
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I should add that even more important than capturing the young Arellano Felix, is capturing his top enforcer Arturo Villareal-Heredia alias "el
nalgon", HE is the man, the muscle, the guy that controls the crews. Take Arellano down alone and Heredia would keep the show running, but take
Heredia AND Arellano down, and you got a cartel in deep trouble.
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Bob H
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Arellano-Felix is in the custody of the U.S. Coast Guard on board the cutter Monsoon. He will be brought ashore in San Diego, where he has been
indicted and will be arraigned.
The SAME boiling water that softens the potato hardens the egg. It's about what you are made of NOT the circumstance.
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BajaNews
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Drug lord arrested deep-sea fishing off Mexico coast
http://www.dailynews.com/ci_4191052
08/16/2006
BY MICHAEL J. SNIFFEN
WASHINGTON (AP) _ The Coast Guard caught Mexican drug lord Francisco Javier Arellano-Felix deep-sea fishing off Mexico, decapitating a murderous gang
that dug smuggling tunnels under the U.S. border, officials said Wednesday.
Arellano-Felix, 36, was captured when the crew of the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Monsoon boarded a U.S.-registered sport fishing boat at 9 a.m. local
time Monday about 15 miles off the coast of Mexico's Baja California peninsula, Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Thad Allen told a news conference.
''We've taken the head off the snake,'' said Michael Braun, chief of operations for the Drug Enforcement Administration. DEA agents discovered
Arellano-Felix's fishing plans and asked the Coast Guard to seize the boat in international waters.
''This is a huge blow'' to one of the three largest Mexican drug cartels, Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty said. However, he added, ''much more
remains to be done.''
Braun said, ''We're piling on this organization because they are extremely vulnerable right now.''
The gang was once led by seven brothers and four sisters, but Braun noted that Javier's brother Ramon was killed in a shootout with police in 2002,
his brother Benjamin is in a Mexican prison and brother Eduardo, while at large in Mexico, is not considered ''capable of leading the organization at
this time.''
''That's not to say that there aren't one or more others capable of stepping up and running it,'' Braun said.
The cutter Monsoon was towing the fishing boat, the Dock Holiday, back to San Diego where DEA agents were to formally arrest Arellano-Felix and others
among the eight adults and three juveniles who were captured on board.
Officials anticipated announcing additional charges against the group in San Diego on Thursday.
Arellano-Felix is wanted in both the United States and Mexico for his role as leader of the violent and sophisticated Tijuana-based Arellano-Felix
gang, which McNulty said was blamed in a 2003 U.S. indictment for 20 murders in the U.S. and Mexico.
One law enforcement official said two suspected assassins for the Arellano-Felix gang were among those aboard the Dock Holiday. He requested anonymity
because he was speaking before the list of passengers was officially released.
The Arellano-Felix gang, along with the Gulf Cartel and the Federacion, are the largest Mexican drug cartels. The Arellano-Felix gang is believed to
be responsible for the huge drug tunnels discovered last January.
The longest tunnel stretched 2,400 feet from a warehouse near the Tijuana airport to a warehouse in San Diego's Otay Mesa industrial district. More
than two tons of marijuana were found in the tunnel. The DEA says the gang is responsible for smuggling of tons of marijuana, cocaine, heroin and
methamphetamines over the last decade.
In addition, Braun said the Arellano-Felix gang was involved in smuggling multiple tons of cocaine from all three major cocaine-producing countries in
Latin America _ Colombia, Peru and Bolivia. McNulty said the gang received some cocaine from FARC, a leftist revolutionary guerrilla group in
Colombia.
Federal drug agents began preparing for the operation 14 months ago after learning that Arellano-Felix was planning to go fishing aboard the vessel
off La Paz, Mexico, the U.S. officials announced. The agents enlisted the Coast Guard's help in mounting the operation and were helped throughout by
Mexican law enforcement officers, McNulty said.
Arellano-Felix was among 11 individuals named in a federal indictment unsealed in California in July 2003. The indictment charged racketeering and
money laundering and drug trafficking conspiracies. It sought forfeiture of $300 million in illegal profits. Some of the counts carried maximum
penalties of life in prison.
The State Department has offered $5 million rewards for the capture of Javier or his brother Eduardo. McNulty said there was no indication whether
anyone would receive the award for Javier's capture.
Javier Arellano-Felix was charged in Mexico in 1993 with conspiring to assassinate Roman Catholic Cardinal Juan Posadas Ocampo, U.S. officials said.
The suspected Arellano-Felix assassins captured with Javier were identified as Arturo Villareal-Heredia and Marco ''El Catoro'' Fernandez, the law
enforcement official said.
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bajajudy
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"Federal agents began preparing for the operation 14 months ago after learning that Arellano-Felix was planning to go fishing aboard the vessel off La
Paz, Mexico, the law enforcement official said. They enlisted the help of the Coast Guard in mounting the operation. "
I am sorry but I find it hard to believe that someone in his position would make plans 14 months in advance to do anything. Wasnt he on the run?
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JESSE
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| Quote: | Originally posted by bajajudy
"Federal agents began preparing for the operation 14 months ago after learning that Arellano-Felix was planning to go fishing aboard the vessel off La
Paz, Mexico, the law enforcement official said. They enlisted the help of the Coast Guard in mounting the operation. "
I am sorry but I find it hard to believe that someone in his position would make plans 14 months in advance to do anything. Wasnt he on the run?
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I am with you on that one.
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bancoduo
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| Quote: | Originally posted by bajajudy
"Federal agents began preparing for the operation 14 months ago after learning that Arellano-Felix was planning to go fishing aboard the vessel off La
Paz, Mexico, the law enforcement official said. They enlisted the help of the Coast Guard in mounting the operation. "
I am sorry but I find it hard to believe that someone in his position would make plans 14 months in advance to do anything. Wasnt he on the run?
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federal agents! 
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The Sculpin
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That's why I used the boat byline.
If this guy - who can get anything he wants - had to wait 14 months to get on this boat, that must be one hell of a capitan!
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aldosalato
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This morning Sudcaliforniano newspaper reported Mexican Navy detained the boat out at sea before any other newssource. WHat probably happened is
Arellano and compadres were handed over to the US coast guard in international waters.
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Dave
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| Quote: | Originally posted by JESSE
it will provide tons of intelligence |
I'll bet there are certain politicos in TJ who are just a little bit nervous. 
And speaking of TJ:
It would be wise to cancel a casual Sunday drive for the next few weeks. Things are liable to get dicey.
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MrBillM
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Better Alive than Dead
As much as he richly deserves a slow and painful death, killing him would have accomplished little. It was pointed out last night that the Cartels
have been quick to replace any leaders caught or killed without any noticeable slowdown of their activities. There are an abundance of deputies eager
to assume the top spot. We can only hope that he will provide some worthy intelligence and be satisfied knowing that he will never again in his life
see a day of freedom.
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Cincodemayo
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So was the boat siezed and conviscated or was it hired by the dipchit?
Curious to see if Felix starts ratting on all the other scumbags.
Don\'t get mad...
Get EVEN.
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Bob H
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I saw an article that said the 43-foot fishing vessel "Dock Holiday" (only one L) is a U.S. flagged ship. It also stated that it was "privately
owned"
Bob H
The SAME boiling water that softens the potato hardens the egg. It's about what you are made of NOT the circumstance.
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Cincodemayo
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Curious how the information got out to the authorities...hope the boat owner doesn't get snuffed out thinking it was them. Time to rename the boat
Felix the Cat....
Don\'t get mad...
Get EVEN.
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toneart
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| Quote: | Originally posted by MrBillM
As much as he richly deserves a slow and painful death, killing him would have accomplished little. It was pointed out last night that the Cartels
have been quick to replace any leaders caught or killed without any noticeable slowdown of their activities. There are an abundance of deputies eager
to assume the top spot. We can only hope that he will provide some worthy intelligence and be satisfied knowing that he will never again in his life
see a day of freedom. |
Don't be too sure...cartel kingpins at this level have escaped prison in the past. Too many connections, inside and out. It would be great though, if
this could be their unravelling.... Just wishful thinking.
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JESSE
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Dave
| Quote: | Originally posted by JESSE
it will provide tons of intelligence |
I'll bet there are certain politicos in TJ who are just a little bit nervous.
And speaking of TJ:
It would be wise to cancel a casual Sunday drive for the next few weeks. Things are liable to get dicey. |
The dogs might be nervous at Caliente.
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Dave
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| Quote: | Originally posted by JESSE
The dogs might be nervous at Caliente. |
And their master.
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