Bust nets drugs, $45 million from cartel

Dozens of people accused of working for a Mexican drug cartel were arrested Wednesday in a multistate bust that has netted more than $45 million in cash and tons of cocaine, heroin and marijuana, federal officials said.

At least some of the drugs were carried over the U.S.-Mexico border on a bridge made from sandbags partially submerged in the Colorado River outside of Yuma, Ariz., authorities said. All the narcotics were sneaked into the country through the porous Southwest border exploited by cartel kingpin Victor Emilio Cazares-Gastellum, they said.

The 20-month sting, code-named "Operation Imperial Emperor," so far has swept up 402 of the cartel's suspected lieutenants and foot soldiers, including 66 on Wednesday who were arrested in California, Arizona and Illinois.

"Today's operation is a serious blow to one of the largest and most significant trafficking organizations," said Attorney General Alberto Gonzales at a news conference in San Diego.

Cazares-Gastellum, also known as Victor Emilio Cazares-Salazar, was indicted in the sting but remains in Mexico and was not arrested, officials said.

Authorities said the cartel employed U.S. citizens and Mexican nationals, who distributed the drugs in 23 states. They will face either federal or state charges.

Among the cache collected by the Drug Enforcement Administration were 27,229 pounds of marijuana; 9,512 pounds of cocaine; 705 pounds of methamphetamine; 227 pounds of pure methamphetamine, or "ice"; 11 pounds of heroin; $6.1 million in property and assets; and an estimated 100 weapons and 94 vehicles.

Authorities said the cartel shipped or drove metric tons of the drugs from Colombia and Venezuela to Mexico. From there, they were taken over the southwest border and broken down in Los Angeles, San Diego and other cities before being distributed nationwide.

The drugs were distributed in Nevada, Arizona, New York, New Jersey, Ohio, Colorado, Georgia, Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, Texas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Illinois, Kansas, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Washington and Oregon.

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Associated Press writer Lara Jakes Jordan in Washington contributed to this report.

(Corrects seizure amounts.)