Ashcroft hails joint efforts in wars on drugs, terrorism

RESOURCES • Indictment: U.S. v. Shah, et al  • Criminal complaint: U.S. v. Romero Valera, et al  (FindLaw documents, PDF) SPECIAL REPORT • Interactive: The hunt for al Qaeda • Audio slide show: Bin Laden's audio message, 2/03 • Terror warning system • Special report: Terror on tape • Special report: War against terror

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Attorney General John Ashcroft Wednesday cited "hours of complex and often very dangerous work" in the arrests of seven people charged with conspiring to buy weapons with drug money, including three people charged in Hong Kong with conspiring to provide Stinger missiles to al Qaeda.

A joint FBI-Drug Enforcement Agency operation arrested Carlos Ali Romero Vallero and Hughie Jensen, along with United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC) operatives Cesar Lopez and Commandant Emilio in Costa Rico, Ashcroft said, charging them in Houston, Texas, "in a $25 million drugs-for-weapons scheme."

And in "a simultaneous strike against the terrorism drug-trafficking nexus," Ashcroft said that Hong Kong police were holding three men wanted by the FBI for allegedly trying to buy four of the Stinger anti-aircraft missiles with profits used from smuggling drugs, including five tons of hashish and 600 kilos of heroin.

"The war on terrorism has been joined with the war on illegal drug use," the attorney general announced.

All seven could be sentenced to up to life in prison if convicted.

Ashcroft said Pakistani nationals Syed Mustajab Shah and Muhammed Abid Afridi, along with Ilyas Ali, an Indian-born U.S. citizen, had been indicted in San Diego after undercover agents said the men told them they intended to sell the Stingers to al Qaeda.

A court in Hong Kong has remanded them into custody until November 15, sources told CNN.

Romero and Jensen, Ashcroft said, were to provide the AUC -- a right-wing South American terrorist organization -- with four shipping containers of Russian and eastern European weaponry, including shoulder-fired antiaircraft missiles, assault rifles, pistols, rocket-propelled grenade launchers and millions of rounds of ammunition.

Agents videotaped meetings in London, the Virgin Islands and Panama City during the 13-month investigation while the suspects allegedly discussed their plans.

All four were charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine and with providing material support to a terrorist organization.

The AUC has been waging war since the 1980s against the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, a powerful leftist rebel group also known as FARC.

"Colombia estimates the AUC has committed 804 assassination, 203 kidnappings, 75 massacres with 507 victims in the first 10 months of 2000," Ashcroft said, adding that the organization has "boasted that 70 percent of its finances comes from drug trafficking."

The AUC and FARC have been accused of controlling parts of Colombia's drug trade. The United States has labeled the AUC and FARC as terrorist groups.

-- CNN Justice Correspondent Kelli Arena contributed to this report.

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