Arrest of global drug dealer
nets Hawaii suspectsThey are allegedly in a global ring
dealing cocaine, meth and pot
SAN DIEGO >> An elusive international drug dealer and 30 other people in California and Hawaii were arrested following a 2-year federal investigation dubbed "Operation Doctor Wu," officials announced Friday.
The ringleader, "Doctor Wu," was named in an indictment unsealed Friday as Baron Michael Angelo Suarez-Rothschild. He was being held in Singapore and authorities were seeking to extradite him to the United States, said Misha Piastro, a special agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration.
"He's a fairly elusive international drug trafficker that we've suspected of drug trafficking since the early 1980s," Piastro said.
Investigators believe Suarez-Rothschild, who also goes by Michael Grabarak, is about 53 years old, Piastro said. He carried a U.S. passport, but his true nationality and identity were unclear. Prosecutors said the name "Doctor Wu" comes from a song by the band Steely Dan.
Suarez-Rothschild was being held for allegedly trying to send more than 2 pounds of cocaine through the mail from San Diego to Singapore, Piastro said.
His pending extradition to the United States "is probably a relief to him," Piastro said, since Singapore imposes the death penalty for anyone caught with less than 2 ounces of drugs.
For two years, investigators tracked a ring that distributed cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana locally in Southern California and shipped drugs to Hawaii and Singapore. The methamphetamine was made in Mexico, the cocaine from South America and the marijuana from British Columbia, Canada, Piastro said.
Suarez-Rothschild's organization also had ties to Australia and other countries in the Far East, Piastro said.
"This organization was moving millions of dollars worth of drugs on a yearly basis," he said. "In one day alone, on April 1st, we seized approximately half a million dollars. That's in one day."
In searches carried out Thursday, federal and local law enforcement agencies arrested 22 people in San Diego County, U.S. Attorney Carol Lam said. Raids on Oahu led to the arrests of eight people. Searches also were conducted in Riverside County.
"The arrests today have significantly impacted the flow of cocaine, methamphetamine and high-grade marijuana in San Diego County," Lam said.
Lam said 24 of the suspects have been indicted on charges of conspiracy to import and distribute the drugs, and money laundering.
Authorities seized more than 13 pounds of cocaine, 2 pounds of methamphetamine and about 30 pounds of high-grade marijuana.
They also found about $747,000 in suspected drug proceeds and 20 weapons, including nine assault rifles. The operation involved overlapping drug-distribution cells in San Diego, Ventura and Riverside counties, as well as Hawaii and Canada, Lam said.
In Hawaii, the indicted suspects are Rayma Faalealea and Sefo Faalealea of Honolulu, Robert Linder of Pahoa, Brent Weber of Maui, Todd Takata of Kahuku, and Kimberly Deveraux and Douglas Secor of Haleiwa.