“Mexican cartel” shipped 200g in each
frozen fish from Guyana
Official Court documents out of the United States relate that a “Mexican cartel” was shipping up to 200 grams of cocaine out of Guyana in each frozen fish. The case which was filed in a New York court earlier this week stated that evidence against players in a major drug ring shows that back in 2012, Franco Lupoi, an alleged associate of the Italian Gambino crime family, had conspired to ship cocaine out of Guyana using a “Mexican with the cartels.”
At least two dozen suspected drug traffickers linked to the Gambino and Bonanno crime families and the Italian crime syndicate known as ‘Ndrangheta were arrested in New York and Italy on Tuesday following an American-Italian operation that authorities said “disrupted a multi-continent drug pipeline.” Guyana was highlighted as one of the drug ports.
The court document stated that on September 12, 2012 Lupoi had explained to an undercover agent that he had contacts in Guyana, “who could arrange the shipment of cocaine to his contacts in Italy.”
At a recorded meeting with the undercover agent, Lupoi stated that he had “a great connect” who would “pack it (cocaine) into fish” and then “freeze it in a block.”
He said the “connect” was a “”Mexican with the cartels” who would ship the drug from Guyana to Italy and possibly on to Canada,” where he (Lupoi) had “buyers to buy it up in Canada.”
Adding that other persons were involved in the scheme, Lupoi said to the undercover agent on October 8, 2012 that, “they put a hundred grams, two hundred grams in each fish” and “it takes a day to defrost and then it takes a day to take out.”
On October 10, 2012, Lupoi had reportedly told the undercover agent that the source of the cocaine (Mexican connect) “is a close connect with the Chinese [guy]. The Chinese [guy] brought it up to this Greek [guy], and the Greek [guy] brought it up to me and that’s how I connected.”
On December 1, 2012, the report continued, the undercover rank and Lupoi met with the other members of the conspiracy, including the “”Mexican with the cartels” – Jose Alfredo Garcia – and the “Chinese guy” –Alexander Chan.”
Extensive plans were also made for the cocaine shipment in emails, recorded meetings, and recorded telephone calls. In preparation for the shipment, co-conspirators in Italy took control of a fish wholesaler to act as a front company for receipt of the cocaine, the court document revealed.
Following this, discussions were also held for cocaine to be shipped in pineapples and charcoal destined for Italy. Up to the time of the arrest on Tuesday, Lupoi, Chan and Garcia continued to work on the plot to ship cocaine from Guyana to Italy, the report alleged.
