Posted on: Saturday, December 22, 2001

Raids, arrests hit all levels of interisland drug ring

By David Waite
Advertiser Staff Writer

Heroin distribution rings in Hawai'i have been busted before, but the lightning swift raids and arrests Thursday of suspected heroin ring members on O'ahu and the Big Island marks the first time that a suspected drug distribution network in Hawai'i was hit at all levels, federal officials said yesterday.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Thomas said the 22 people indicted Wednesday on federal drug charges occupied positions from suspected drug importers at the top level, to couriers who helped move move the heroin from the Big Island to O'ahu and to "distribution cell" members on the Big Island and O'ahu who sold the drug to individual users.

Law enforcement authorities said the arrests should make a significant dent in the amount of heroin that is available in Hawaii.

"But as long as there is greed and money to be made, people are going to do what they have to do," said Thomas Kelly, special agent in charge of the Honolulu office of the Drug Enforcement Agency.

Kelly said the street price of heroin during coming weeks will indicate how large a crimp was put in the supply of the drug in Hawai'i.

Ed Kubo, newly appointed U.S. attorney for Hawai'i, said drug interdiction will be one of the top priorities during his administration. He said he will ask federal prosecutors to aggressively pursue and prosecute drug crimes, partly through increased use of wiretaps and electronic eavesdropping.

Kubo said he also will try to develop a stronger federal presence on the Neighbor Islands, with federal prosecutors working more closely with their counterparts in the four Hawai'i counties "to attack the drug trafficking problem."

The U.S. Customs Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, Immigration and Naturalization Service, the state Narcotics Enforcement Office and Hawai'i County Police Department were involved at various points in the investigation that led to the indictments on Wednesday, Kubo said.

Larry Burnett, resident agent in charge of the Honolulu Customs Service office, said the drug ring frequently used overweight people to transport the heroin from the Mainland to Oahu and between the islands because packets of the drugs taped to their bodies would be less conspicuous.

In some cases, couriers were caught carrying as much as a kilogram — or about 2.2 pounds — of the drug in the body packets, Burnett said.

Investigators believe the top level drug ring operators purchased the heroin from suppliers in Mexico, who smuggled it across the border in Southern California and then had carriers bring it to Hawai'i from Los Angeles.

Thomas said treaties between the U.S. and Mexico are being reviewed to see if Mexican drug suppliers can be extradited and charged with U.S. drug law violations.

Kubo said that the investigation into what was named "Operation Island Pipeline" began in December 2000. He said those indicted are accused of trafficking in heroin from July 2001 to as recently as two weeks ago.

Indicted Wednesday on charges of conspiring to import heroin from Mexico to Hawai'i were: Ramon Orozco-Rivera, 24, Fermin Chavez-Montes, 25, Eligio Chavez-Montes, 22, Daniel Avila-Serrano, 23, Galacion Chavez-Garcia, 37, and Maria Chavez-Orozco, 30. Officials identified the six as organizers and suppliers of the alleged drug ring.

The same six defendants were also named in a second indictment accusing them of conspiracy to distribute heroin as well as money laundering. Also indicted on the conspiracy to distribute charge were Stephanie Ross, 53, Maria Guadalupe Jacobo, 37, Kelvin H. Kato, 46, Reed B. Sumner, 47, Michael Lee Lai, 42, Geoffrey Walker, 55, Emily Chaney, 42, Louise Balberdi, 39, Michael Megget, 48, Linda Naniseni, 42, Sherilyn Siegel, 51, Kirk Shinkawa, 47, and Joseph Tavares, 36.

Sabrina Hayes, 24, and Lori Hayes, 26, were also charged in the second indictment with money laundering.

A third indictment issued Wednesday charges Sasha Mason, 21, with possession of heroin with intention to distribute it, while Miguel Cortes, 41, was named in a federal criminal complaint that charges him with possession with intent to distribute.

Most of those indicted could face up to life in prison, with mandatory minimums of 10 years, if convicted. They began making their initial appearances in federal court yesterday afternoon.

Reach David Waite at dwaite@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8030.