Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein, co-chair of the Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control, today issued the following statement on Project Coronado, a 44-month multi-agency law enforcement investigation that targeted the La Familia Michoacana drug cartel.

Over the past two days, 303 individuals in 19 U.S. states were arrested as part of the investigation, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. In California, arrests were made in San Jose, Riverside, Los Angeles, Orange County, Carlsbad and San Diego.

Nationwide, more than 3,000 local, state and federal U.S. law enforcement officials took part and seized 62 kilograms of cocaine, 729 pounds of methamphetamine, 967 pounds of marijuana, 144 weapons, 109 vehicles and two clandestine drug labs.

Following is the statement of Senator Feinstein:

“I want to commend the more than 3,000 local, state and federal law enforcement personnel who participated in Operation Coronado.

This ruthlessly-violent drug trafficking organization has helped to fuel the violence in Mexico and is responsible for numerous murders, kidnappings and assaults. La Familia’s associates in the United States are believed to have used the proceeds from the sale of these drugs to purchase hundreds of firearms that were then smuggled south of the U.S. border.

The success of Operation Coronado should deal a significant blow to La Familia and send a strong message to Mexican-based drug cartels that we will not sit idly by as they flood our communities with illegal drugs,  wreak violence and kill innocents in Mexico. I look forward to more collaborative efforts in the future.”

For more information about Project Coronado, go to www.dea.gov

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