⏱ 2 min read
Ceasar Tubay Gelacio, Jr., a 43-year-old Philippines national, has been arrested for smuggling a massive 227 kilograms (500 pounds) of cocaine into the United States. The cocaine, which was hidden on an oil tanker, was intended to be delivered to a Mexican drug cartel. The ship, which was inbound from Ecuador, was intercepted by law enforcement in the combined port of Los Angeles and Long Beach on Thursday. Gelacio was taken into custody and is scheduled to make his initial appearance in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles.
According to an affidavit, crew members of the oil tanker discovered numerous packages of suspected narcotics hidden in the ship’s garbage room. The ship’s captain interviewed the crew and discovered that Gelacio possessed the drugs, which were then secured in a different room on the ship. The captain was also informed that Mexican cartel members would be waiting to intercept the ship and recover the contraband if it was not delivered on time.
The operation was allegedly set to go down on May 14 and 15, with cartel members waiting 80 nautical miles from the shore. However, U.S. law enforcement directed the ship to navigate to the combined port of Los Angeles and Long Beach, where it was boarded and the cocaine was recovered. Gelacio is now facing federal charges for importation of a controlled substance.
The case highlights the ongoing efforts of law enforcement to combat international drug trafficking and the flow of illicit substances into the United States. Gelacio’s arrest and the recovery of the massive cocaine shipment are a significant blow to the Mexican cartel’s operations.
📋 Key Facts
- Crime: Drug Trafficking
- Defendant: California
- Location: CA
- Source: DOJ Press Release
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