October 13, 1999
Web posted at: 11:32 a.m. EDT (1532 GMT)

In this story: 'Unprecedented' cooperation in investigation Some suspects in Mexico RELATED STORIES, SITES

From staff and wire reports

MIAMI (CNN) -- U.S. and Colombian authorities announced the takedown of one of Colombia's most notorious drug organizations in pre-dawn raids Wednesday in Bogota, Medellin and Cali.

Colombia's national police spread throughout the country to arrest about 40 people.

The suspects are to be named in a federal grand jury indictment returned in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The indictment is to be unsealed Wednesday, sources told CNN.

The arrests -- the result of a two-year investigation dubbed Operation Millennium -- could be a major test of Colombia's resolve to make a dent in its powerful cocaine cartels.

Colombia's national police chief, Gen. Rosso Jose Serrano, called the sweep the most important blow to drug traffickers in Colombia since the 1995 arrests of the leaders of the Cali cocaine cartel.

Several of the key suspects rounded up Wednesday were top guns in the Medellin cocaine cartel, which rose to power in the 1980s. They include Fabio Ochoa, who has previously served time in Colombian prisons.

Leading the organization, sources said, was Alejandro Bernal-Madrigal, known as "Junior."

Sources said Bernal had bragged about exporting up to 30 tons of cocaine into the United States each month, mostly via Mexico, in transactions worth millions of dollars.

During a two-week period in August, U.S. authorities said they seized nearly 14 tons of cocaine as part of Operation Millennium.

The cartel's alleged operations took place after a re-negotiated extradition treaty between the United States and Colombia, which allows for the extradition of suspected drug traffickers charged outside of Colombia.

It is unclear whether Colombia intends to remove the defendants to the United States by presidential order or whether extradition proceedings would proceed in the near future.

Sources call the cooperation between the United States and Colombia in the case "unprecedented."

U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno is expected to give details of the operation Wednesday, along with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency and Colombia's ambassador to the United States, Luis Alberto Moreno, U.S. Attorney Thomas Scott of the southern district of Florida and the commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard.

Sources said the investigation was led by Colombia's national police, who asked for technical assistance from the DEA.

Fifty search warrants were executed in Colombia and the United States at the same time arrests began early Wednesday.

Some of those warrants included the search of alleged stash houses and operational bases at homes in South Florida.

Sources said South Florida was Bernal's command, control and nerve center.

At least two defendants were believed to be in Mexico, and U.S. authorities said they are seeking help from the Mexican government through diplomatic channels to make those arrests.

One of the cartel's alleged top Mexican links is identified as Armando Valencia, who is said to have taken over some of Mexico's biggest operations after the death of Armado Carrillo Fuentes.

Valencia is allegedly one of Mexico's top five drug traffickers.

Serrano said some suspects are also in Ecuador and the United States.

Sources said the organization led by Bernal used the Internet as part of a highly sophisticated operation which included encryption devices and state-of-the-art communications equipment.

Some of the meetings among the traffickers allegedly took place in Cuba, sources told CNN. There is no indication, they added, that the Cuban government played any role or had any knowledge of the cartel's operations.

Correspondent Susan Candiotti and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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