Drug case moves from Galapagos to Columbus
Three Ecuadorian and one Mexican national arrived in Columbus on Wednesday to face federal charges after they were caught near the Galapagos Islands with more than 1,584 pounds of cocaine valued at $25 million.
The islands are 2,870 miles away from the city, which may leave some wondering why the local U.S. Attorney’s office is prosecuting a case that originated just north of the equator.
“It’s entirely likely that at least some of those drugs would end up here in Columbus. What we’re doing is spreading our wings and increasing our vision and our appetite for combating this kind of scourge that we’re in the middle of here in central Ohio by reaching out as far as we need to go to stop the drugs — even internationally,” Benjamin C. Glassman, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, told reporters Wednesday.
He said the reason that people should care in Columbus is “because we are prosecuting this case in Columbus.”
Ecuadorian nationals Hernan Emilio Caldas-Estupian, Oscar Alipio Chila-Mendez and Carlos Alfredo Escobar-Estupinan and Mexican national Jesus Antonio Ramos-Chirino were caught in a dual-engine speedboat on Aug. 18 about 476 miles northwest of the Galapagos Islands in the Pacific Ocean.
All four face charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine while on board a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. This will mark the first time the Southern District of Ohio has ever prosecuted anyone on that charge.
“We’re dealing with drug pirates,” Glassman said.
The Maritime Drug Enforcement Act, which dates back centuries, allows authorities to punish those who commit crimes in international waters. The accused can be tried anywhere they’re brought to in the United States.
“They’re going to be found in Columbus. That’s where they are going to find themselves,” Glassman said.
The Department of Justice has an office that helps select districts for cases involving drug trafficking where it may not be obvious where it should be prosecuted, Glassman said. The office is responsible for coordinating with federal prosecutors nationwide to make sure that each district involved is informed of the actions taking place in other districts, according to the department’s website.
The drugs in this case are part of a larger U.S. Coast Guard operation that resulted in 50,690 pounds of cocaine and heroin valued at $679 million from cases that will be prosecuted in six federal districts across the country.
Last month, a Coast Guard cutter was sent to intercept the speedboat in the case being prosecuted in Columbus. The speedboat had no flag flying, registration or claim of nationality for the vessel.
“It was a nationless vessel in international waters,” Glassman said.
The Coast Guard launched a helicopter and two patrol boats to approach the speedboat. The men dumped numerous packages while attempting to flee. The Coast Guard fired warning shots to discourage the men from leaving. The helicopter then opened fire to disable the speedboat. Twentyfive packages that had been thrown from the boat were recovered. Inside were 720 kilograms of cocaine, according to authorities.
Glassman declined to say why the Southern District of Ohio was selected to prosecute the case because the investigation is ongoing. He did say his office wanted this case and others like it in the future. He also said it would not take away resources from other cases that have local ties.
“This is more than we’ve ever done before, but we can do both,” he said.