Federal agents said they broke up a Jamaican-led network on 13 April 2000 that had bribed FedEx drivers and warehouse staff to distribute Mexican marijuana across the United States, arresting 101 people including 22 FedEx employees.[1] The Drug Enforcement Administration said Memphis-based FedEx cooperated fully after an employee flagged a suspicious package that agents found contained marijuana.[1]
Scale of the network
Acting administrator Donnie R. Marshall said smugglers had never before routed so much cannabis through a single private courier, shipping more than 4,000 cartons sprinkled with detergent to confuse drug dogs.[1] CBS reported that investigators seized 121 tons of marijuana over the 18-month Operation Green Air, along with 18 firearms and more than $4 million in cash and assets.[1] The Washington Post gave the same arrest and seizure totals.[2]
Routes and suppliers
Marshall said the Arellano Felix organization in Tijuana supplied cannabis to Jamaican traffickers in Southern California, who loaded FedEx aircraft through corrupt workers in Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta and other hubs.[1] U.S. Attorney Loretta Lynch said drivers were paid bribes of up to $2,000 a week and that forged labels let the ring avoid more than $500,000 in shipping fees.[1] Arrests spanned California, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Georgia and Florida.[1]
