13 arrested on Maui
after federal ice bust
Three more are at large, and they
each face 10 years to life in jail
Federal prosecutors say 13 people were arrested in a shake-up of a West Maui crystal methamphetamine trafficking ring that allegedly distributed 20 pounds of "ice" a month from Mexican drug sources.
The U.S. Attorney's Office charged 16 people with conspiracy to possess and distribute ice. Thirteen of the suspects are now in federal custody, and the other three are considered federal fugitives. U.S. Attorney Ed Kubo said yesterday that each defendant faces 10 years to life in prison.
"We will continue to do a full-court press on ice because I am very concerned about the ice distribution in this state," Kubo said during a news conference in Honolulu. "We need to keep the pressure on these distributors."
The three fugitives were identified as Marco Antonio Davidson-Cervantes and Fernando Iribe Tirado, who were allegedly supplying the ice from Mexico by way of mail parcels from California; and Brian U'u, a Maui resident who was described in a criminal complaint as a "primary distributor" in the drug-trafficking operation.
Federal officials said Davidson-Cervantes and Tirado were likely not in Hawaii and either on the mainland or in Mexico, while U'u is believed to still be on Maui.
"Operation Tap Out" began in January 2003 after a confidential informant told Maui police that Valley Isle resident Moses Kiakona was "involved in the importation of a large quantity of crystal methamphetamine."
According to federal documents, Kiakona obtained his ice from both "Mexican and Tongan suppliers" and was slowing down his drug business because he had already "made his millions."
The investigation found that the Mexican suppliers Kiakona referred to were identified as Davidson-Cervantes and Tirado, who supplied the drugs to Kiakona and another Maui man, named Glenn Fernandez, according to prosecutors. From there the drugs were allegedly supplied to a Sham Vierra, who according to the complaint distributed five pounds of a monthly 20-pound shipment that came from the "Mexican suppliers."
Although federal prosecutors said their investigation covers this drug-trafficking operation since October 2002, the criminal complaint states that, according to Vierra, the 20-pound shipments have been coming to Maui since November 2000.
Kubo said, "If this is true, then assuming a user consumes approximately one-sixteenth a gram, we are talking about 145,152 hits coming into the island of Maui each month."
Part of the shipment was also distributed on Lanai via ferry. Federal officials said most of the supply was sent to Maui by way of parcels shipped or mailed and not from a drug courier.
During the course of 10 search warrants executed Thursday on Maui, Operation Tap Out also seized more than $250,000 in cash, about 2 pounds of ice worth more than $60,000, and two rifles. In one house agents found stacks of cash totaling $141,782.
"As you can see, there's money in this," said Maui Police Chief Thomas Phillips. "I don't know how many of you have $140,000 laying around the house. That's what they're in this for.
"They deal grief to the community for profit."
Much of the evidence consisted of the defendants' cellular phone conversations, authorities said.
"What we're looking at right now is an organization that has been taken down by federal wiretap laws," Kubo said.
The other defendants in the case include George Keahi Jr., also known as "Uncle Louie" and/or "Opelu"; Arnold C. Arruiza; Glenn P. Fernandez; Mary H. Vandervelde; Antonio Panlasigui Jr.; Dawn R. Galarita; Leslie Jaramillo; Tiare M. Smith; Adele M. Criste; Robert Eisler; and Melissa Ordonez.
Although the Maui Police Department and the FBI were the lead investigative agencies, other assisting law enforcement organizations included the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Kauai and Hawaii county police departments and the Honolulu Police Department's Narcotics/Vice division.
