Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) co-chairman of the Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control, today issued the following statement on Operation Luz Verde, an investigation by the multi-agency San Diego Cross Border Violence Task Force that resulted in federal racketeering charges against 43 individuals from Southern California and Mexico.

Operation Luz Verde (green light) targeted members and associates of the Fernando Sanchez Organization, an offshoot of the Arrellano-Felix drug-trafficking cartel. Federal prosecutors charged the individuals with participating in a federal racketeering (RICO) conspiracy involving both state and federal crimes, including murder, kidnapping, robbery, drug trafficking and money-laundering offenses.

“I commend the federal, state and local law enforcement who took part in this investigation. I believe these collaborative efforts are our best chance at disrupting the infrastructure of the Mexican-based drug trafficking organizations that flood our communities with illegal drugs and murder, kidnap, and extort to further their operations.

Narcotics-related cross-border violence poses great threats to California and other border states, and every effort to dismantle drug trafficking organizations and their associates is to be applauded. I can only hope for additional successes to follow today’s arrests.”

For more information about Operation Luz Verde, go to www.doj.gov

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