1. Captured: Mexican Cartel Leader

One of the most wanted, feared, and violent drug traffickers in the world was captured on March 14th by law enforcement in Mexico. Osiel Cardenas-Guillen was head of a major Mexican drug trafficking organization that controlled large-scale marijuana and cocaine trafficking from Mexico to the United States.

–Get the scoop here about Cardenas’ arrest: http://www.dea.gov/pubs/pressrel/pr032103.html

2. The Danger of Just One Ecstasy Pill

A single experiment with Ecstasy may leave a person vulnerable to depression and future mental afflictions, according to new scientific evidence. Psychologists from London Metropolitan University found individuals who had tried Ecstasy on only a few occasions had depression levels four times higher than those who had taken a range of other drugs but not ecstasy.

–Read the full story: http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_760935.html?menu=news.scienceanddiscovery

–Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich announces “Project X,” a $2 million state initiative to combat Ecstasy. Most of the money would come from the assets seized from the drug dealers themselves. Read all about it here: http://www.pjstar.com/news/regional/g152241a.html

–DEA’s own Operation X-Out, a national enforcement and awareness campaign about Ecstasy and predatory drugs is in full swing across the country. Get the scoop at: http://www.dea.gov/concern/clubdrugs.html#operation

–Want more facts on the proven dangers of Ecstasy and Predatory Drugs? Want to read what recovering users have to say about Ecstasy’s “harmless” reputation? DEA’s got it all right here: http://www.dea.gov/pubs/ecstasy/index.html in the Ecstasy and Predatory Drugs Booklet. This is an excellent, easy-to-read resource that can be printed and shared.

3. Exposed: The Myth of Marijuana as Medicine

A small, but well-financed Legalization Lobby is moving from state to state trying to sell the public, media, and lawmakers on the false concept that marijuana is really just “medicine.” Preying on the emotions of our compassionate society, they’re lobbying lawmakers to bypass the Food and Drug Administration, which is the nation’s watchdog over prescription drug safety.

–Legislation to allow the use of marijuana for medical purposes failed in the Arkansas House of Representatives in mid-March. The Associated Press reports that an Arkansas House panel rejected the bill, despite support for the measure from Dr. Joycelyn Elders, the former U.S. surgeon general. Elders said that people with serious illnesses should have the chance to use the treatment that works best for them, including marijuana. But members of the House Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee expressed serious concerns about making the drug legal in certain circumstances and questioned why a prescription drug (Marinol) that contains a key ingredient in marijuana isn’t enough.

–What is this prescription drug the Arkansas committee is referring to? It’s called Marinol. One of marijuana’s components is THC, which has been found to have medical value in alleviating pain. Scientists have made synthetic THC and put it in a pill form, called Marinol, which relieves the nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy for cancer patients and assists with loss of appetite with AIDS patients. Marinol is safe, effective, regulated, and free of all the harmful ingredients and side effects associated with smoking marijuana. It’s available with a doctor’s prescription. Find out more and why the Legalization Lobby doesn’t want the public to know about Marinol: http://www.dea.gov/ongoing/marinol.html

–Get the straight facts about why the scientific and medical community say that smoking marijuana is not safe or effective medicine: http://www.dea.gov/ongoing/marijuana.html

–Read about the Medicaid marijuana scam uncovered by law enforcement last week in New York. Owners of a Brooklyn pharmacy and clinic were offering free marijuana to patients as an inducement to visit their clinic. Read the full story at: http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/781308.htm.

4. Orange Alert: Ever Wonder Where al Qaeda and other Terrorists Get Their Money?

The drug trade has for centuries provided various rulers and terrorist organizations the means to arm, equip, and train members of their violent groups. DEA’s intelligence indicates that Osama bin Laden was involved in the financing and facilitation of heroin trafficking activities.

–Read DEA Congressional Testimony about the link between drugs and terrorism: http://www.dea.gov/pubs/cngrtest/ct031302.html

–See DEA’s Traveling Exhibit: “Traffickers, Terrorists &You”: Coming Soon to a city near you: http://www.dea.gov/deamuseum/museum_targetamerica.html

–How is the drug money laundered exactly? This explains it all: http://www.dea.gov/pubs/cngrtest/ct062300.htm

5. Opium Smuggled in Asian Blankets and Cocaine Dissolved in Coconut Cream:

Smugglers’ Disguises Caught!Hidden in colorful small blankets seized at Washington’s Dulles International Airport were sheets laced with opium. At John F. Kennedy Airport in New York, law enforcement discovered cocaine dissolved in liquid coconut cream. Put on your detective hats and see if you could have caught these cleverly disguised drugs at ports of entry:

www.dea.gov/programs/forensicsci/microgram/mg0303/mg0303.html

http://www.dea.gov/programs/forensicsci/microgram/mg0203/mg0203.html

6.Regional DEA News

Georgia: “Operation Buford Clean-up” Sweep Results In Indictments/Arrests http://www.dea.gov/pubs/states/newsrel/atlanta022603.html A case that started in response to complaints of crack cocaine distribution in a neighborhood in Buford resulted in a “clean sweep.”

Washington: D.C. Area Pharmacist and Dentist Arrested on Drug Charges http://www.dea.gov/pubs/states/newsrel/dc030703.html Not all abused drugs are smuggled into the country from elsewhere-this case shows how even people entrusted with the responsibility of handling medications can turn to the illegal drug trade.

Detroit: Colombian Nationals Extradited To Detroit On Heroin Trafficking Charges http://www.dea.gov/pubs/states/newsrel/detroit030603.html

7. Have We Got a Job for You!

Want to help fight the crime associated with drug trafficking? Help kids avoid the misery of addiction? Visit DEA’s web site and learn how to become a Special Agent, Intelligence Research Specialist, Forensic Chemist, or Diversion Investigator at:
http://www.dea.gov/resources/job_applicants.html