The DEA's Fight to Dismantle Cartels

0:00 Speaker 1 Sunday morning. Well, we have not talked to him in a while. What’s going on in drugs in the United States, what’s going on in the Northeast with us is the DEA chief of Frank Tarantino, he’s associate chief of Operations for DEA’s Northeast region. That’s a pretty big territory. Well, Frank, give us say you have report.

0:25 Speaker 2 Well, good morning, John, it’s a pleasure to join you and I appreciate you having me on. You know, DEA across the country, across the globe has had significant successes recently, We’ve had a tremendous impact in the supply chain of different types of drugs, you know, in the Northeast region.

0:42 This year alone, we’ve seized nearly fourteen hundred kilograms oft fentanyl, nearly two point three million fentanyl pills, about sixteen hundred kills of methan phetamine, and about one million methandphetamine pills. So we’re moving that supply from the illicit drug market.

1:01 Is crucial to protecting the American citizens in our communities and saving lives. So that is one big piece of what we do. Obviously, the other huge piece and significant aspect of Our work is the global pursuit of these criminal cartels, these organizations that are operating throughout the Western hemisphere, specifically the cartels in Mexico, the two most dominant Siniloa

1:26 and Helisco. And we’ve had some recent successes. Of course, you know about the guilty plea last August of Ismael Zabairo Garcia r L Mile, the co leader of the Sinaloa cartel, and then just this past July, last month, he was sentenced to life in prison here in the Eastern District of New York. And it’s significant is significant plea,

1:52 but also a significant result is the forfeiture of one point five I’m sorry fifteen billion dollars of illicit proceeds that he has gained over the years. So that that is a monumental.

2:05 Speaker 1 Where is that money and and are we is the United States government going to get it?

2:13 Speaker 2 John, We know where the money is and we’ll go through that legal, judicial, administrative process too to uh se not just seize the money, but also to repatriate the money to the United States. That’s a process that’s ongoing, and uh my hope and optimism is that will happen fairly quickly. But it takes. It takes some time, but

2:37 you know the DA.

2:39 Speaker 1 What are we are we winning? Are we winning the war in your opinion?

2:45 Speaker 2 Yes, we are on many fronts. As I mentioned, We’re removing a tremendous amount of illicted drugs from the supply chain. We’re targeting the cartel leaders in the infrastructure of the cartels. We’re going after the organizations and leadership that are responsible killing Americans. We’re holding not just the cartel leaders responsible with those shadow facilitators, those enablers, those corrupt government officials

3:13 that are also behind the scenes manipulating and benefiting from the cartels. So this is a holistic approach, utilizing all the tools and resources that the President of the United States has provided us. Which is why you saw the announcement earlier this week on the rewards program through the Department of State, over one hundred million dollars worth of

3:40 rewards targeting the CGNG of the cartel Jalisco New Generation and going after Juan Carlos Valencia Gonzales, the now leader of the CGNNG. So that is another tool in resource to put pressure on the cartels and to again bring them to justice. That’s the number one goal understood.

4:06 Speaker 1 And are the is the Mexican politicians, they even the President of Mexico, are they still scared of of the of the I guess the drug lords.

4:21 Speaker 2 Well, what I can say, John, is that our relationships in Mexico could not be better. Our administrator has worked really hard at building that capacity and that relationship not just in Mexico but throughout the Western hemisphere. We rely heavily on our foreign counterparts. We rely heavily on our host nation counterparts, in this case the Mexican law enforcement

4:46 entities that we work with. And so this is again a process of constant pressure and very strategic focus on the cartels. And we’ll let the politicians on both sides of the board deal with those those political issues. But you know, as a law enforcement agency, you know, we’re keenly focused on saving lives and protecting American citizens and

5:11 that’s what Administer at Cole has championed since the day he was sworn in. So we’re we’re fortunate to have a great leader. We’re also fortunate to have again all the tools and resources that the United States of America has, and that’s a result of our leadership from the White House and Frank Tarantino.

5:31 Speaker 1 We we we we took care of of Venezuela. I’m sure Cuba is not too far away. And and I’ve been told by the Cuban people, by the Cuban government that they want to cooperate with us, and it’s up to up to our State Department to work it out and the President to work it out with them. It

5:52 looks like Mexico is working out. Is there another country out there that that we need their cooperation?

6:00 Speaker 2 Well, Johns, As I’ve mentioned, the Western Hemisphere is one of our top priorities right now. So we’re working collaboratively with the whole of government, the US government, all the different agencies, the you know, the intelligence community, the Department of War, our federal law enforcement agencies to develop a strategic plan to go after those criminal organizations that are

6:27 operating in most of those Western Hemisphere countries that are impacting the United States of America. So, as mentioned on previous shows, you know, Columbia is the number one source of cocaine in the United States of America, so of course are exact target. I would say that all of Western Hemisphere is on the list of areas of concern

6:50 that we will focus our investigative efforts and again build that partnership and that capacity to operational capacity with all of those government officials and all those agencies United States Government.

7:01 Speaker 1 And that’s that’s I’m trying to get it all in within the time period we have. I apologize if I interrupted.

7:08 Speaker 2 Yes, Okay, there’s a new top.

7:11 Speaker 1 Crip organized crime Rewards program and there’s one hundred million dollars available to solve problems, to make sure make to make America drug free again. You tell tell us about the new organized crime Rewards program.

7:30 Speaker 2 Well again, John, You know, the President of the United States has allowed us to operate in a way that we haven’t been able to operate before. Has given us the tools, the resources, and the support to go after the cartels in an unprecedented way. And so using different tools and resources and pulling on different levers that would

7:52 put pressure, constant pressure on the cartels is the advantage that we have today. And this is one of those tools. The reward program is important because it allows for everyday citizens to basically benefit from providing essential information that will allow us to bring those people to justice.

8:16 Speaker 1 I was if I was sitting in Arizona and I had some intelligence that I want to make sure the DEA has. Is there a number or website and go to how do I contact you?

8:28 Speaker 2 Well, John, we have a leads U sort of database that people can go to on de A dot gov. They can pass any information at any point from any place in the world by going on to de A dot CoV and uhd A.

8:44 Speaker 1 D A dot gov is where I go to to see if if I can give you the right intelligence so I can get some of the rewards.

8:55 Speaker 2 That would be one step in that process, John, of course. And then of course they can go to the US Department State website and going to the rewards program and also reach out to provide information anything else.

9:09 Speaker 1 We got her thirty seconds left, anything else you want to tell millions of American people listening to this.

9:16 Speaker 2 The only other thing I would like to just point out is that we had a groundbreaking sentence levied against Ruthia He. She was the owner of and founder of DONE Global Health Incorporated. They were responsible for one hundred million dollars out of all distribution and healthcare fraud scheme.

9:33 The sentence was significant six years, but the forfeiture the ninety one million dollars and essentially ninety nine point four percent of her shares and Done Global were forfeited. So it’s a groundbreaking case. It is something that was impacting and harming Americans and bringing her to justice. Along with David Brody, the CEO, was critical understood.

10:01 Speaker 1 Thank you so much for coming on today and thank you for the job you do. And you know my personal ambition and I believe President Trump’s personal ambition make America drug free. Thank you so much.

10:14 Speaker 2 Thank you, John