Authorities bust Orange County Man in U.S.-Canada drug ring

After a two year investigation by federal agencies, police Tuesday broke up an alleged international drug smuggling operation using intercepted e-mails and recorded cell phone calls. A Newport Beach, California business man was allegedly the leader of the import-export drug-trafficking ring. The operation allegedly brought ecstasy and marijuana into the U.S. from Canada. In addition, it is alleged that the operation also smuggled cocaine back across the border into Canada. The operation relied on an intricate network of smugglers and distributors to transport and disperse the drugs in Canada and the U.S.

“Operation Candystore,” as the investigation was covertly code-named, led to the seizure of money and drugs, including 60-kilogram and 35-kilogram shipments of cocaine. The 18 people implicated in the ring face a wide array of charges, including conspiracy to distribute and possess narcotics and money laundering.

The alleged phone call and other accusations against the Newport Beach man and 17 others were laid out in a pair of indictments filed late last year. Unlike in the State court system, which use a charging document, the federal legal system has to use grand juries to bring charges. The Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution requires that charges for all capital and “infamous” crimes be brought by an indictment returned by a grand jury.

The difference between an indictment and an information is that a grand jury must approve an indictment, while a state prosecutor can issue an information without the grand jury’s approval or without ever showing the information to the grand jury. Grand jury proceedings are secret and grand juries meet in private, without any lawyer other than the federal prosecutor in the room with them. Therefore, in the federal system, witnesses cannot be accompanied into the grand jury room by their attorney. However, an attorney may be present, outside the grand jury room for the witness to seek counsel prior to answering questions.

If you have been indicted for drug trafficking, international drug smuggling, if you are subpoenaed to be a witness to testify at a grand jury proceeding, or if the federal government is building a federal criminal case against you for any reason, you need the assistance of counsel immediately. Call the Southern California federal criminal defense attorneys at Houston & Blanco TODAY to schedule a free consultation to preserve your rights and ensure you receive your due process! DO NOT WAIT! Call 714.841.3921 or email at info@HBLawyers.net.