Virginia was the destination for many cocaine shipments from overseas, say federal authorities. Last week, government prosecutors filed a criminal complaint in U.S. District Court in Virginia, which alleges that 28 people were involved in an international drug trafficking conspiracy during the last six years.
According to the complaint, the cocaine originated in Honduras, where several people would package it and transport it to the United States. Agents for the Federal Bureau of Investigation said that the cocaine would be hidden among and inside of various items to disguise the shipments.
One such item was a piece of wood that displayed the Honduran flag and the country's borders. In 2006, authorities arrested a woman at an area airport after she attempted to transport 25 pairs of boots filled with cocaine into the country. Law enforcement now believes that that incident is connected to the recently uncovered conspiracy.
Once the cocaine reached Virginia, investigators allege, the group would parcel out the drugs among a number of smaller dealers. The reach of the conspiracy is alleged to have spilled over Virginia's northern border into neighboring states.
Investigators were tipped off to the drug trafficking by a resident who told law enforcement of purported drug dealing activity in that person's neighborhood. Over time, authorities compiled a number of communications between the suspects, which include text messages about logistical matters.
Drug charges have particularly serious consequences in terms of potential prison sentences and fines. Federal conspiracy laws have a broad reach and can subject many people to charges. But a strong criminal defense can determine if a person meets the criteria of belonging to a conspiracy and whether the evidence obtained was done so in accordance with applicable law.
Source: The Washington Examiner, "28 busted in Northern Virginia cocaine ring," Emily Babay, May 10, 2012.
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