Authorities have dismantled a drug smuggling operation that they are saying concerned giant portions of narcotics coming into Los Angeles from Mexico earlier than being distributed within the U.S. and Canada by long-haul truckers.
The cross-border operation dubbed “Operation Useless Hand” noticed 19 individuals charged in two U.S. federal indictments for his or her alleged roles within the organized crime syndicate, together with Roberto Scoppa, a Montreal man alleged by authorities to be a large-scale Canadian trafficker and Italian Mafia determine.
The FBI instructed a information convention Tuesday in Los Angeles that Scoppa, 55, is alleged to have purchased large portions of cocaine and different medication on a wholesale foundation.
A complete of 10 individuals had been arrested, together with 5 from Quebec, Ontario and Alberta, and the RCMP stated in a information launch they may face extradition to the USA to face trial.
Along with Scoppa, the Mounties arrested Ivan Gravel Gonzalez, 32, of Trois-Rivières, Que., Ayush Sharma, 25, and Guramrit Sidhu, 60, of Brampton, Ont., and Subham Kumar, 29, of Calgary.
Officers say arrest and search warrants had been executed in Montreal, Toronto and Calgary in addition to in Texas, Florida and California.
