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Sting yields two arrests, about 150 pounds of cocaine
By MICHAEL A. MOHAMMED
Published February 6, 2007
TAMPA - Tampa police arrested two men with about 150 pounds of cocaine in an undercover operation Monday. Jose Bernardo Garcia, who uses the alias "El Loco," organized a plan to transport the drug from Brownsville, Texas, to Tampa, jail records state. He was held on $3-million bail on charges of conspiracy to traffic cocaine and importation of cocaine into Florida. Ifrain Padro-Casado worked with Garcia, police said. He arranged to transport the drugs and forged registration documents for it, according to jail records. He was held on $2-million bail on charges of a continuing criminal enterprise, racketeering, conspiracy to commit racketeering and trafficking in cocaine. Tampa police said the cocaine had a street value of $7-million. Police arrested the men after monitoring more than 40 phone calls between Garcia and associates beginning in May 2005, jail records show. Padro-Casado, 33, lives in Hialeah. Garcia, whose age was not available, lives in Brownsville. Michael A. Mohammed can be reached at mmohammed@sptimes.com or 813 226-3404.
[Last modified February 6, 2007, 06:11:44]
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