14 Arrested In Major Boston-Area Drug Bust
BOSTON (CBS) - State, local and federal law enforcement authorities swept through Boston, Canton and Milton Monday arresting more than a dozen people, and busting a cocaine operation that they said was tied to gang activity.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Doug Cope reports.
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In a major sweep dubbed "Operation Rodeo," 14 arrests were made, and more than $400,000 was confiscated, along with a large quantity of cocaine.
Suffolk County District Attorney Dan Conley said authorities busted the Boylston Street Gang headed up by a man named Juan Guzman, who's been doing time at Concord State Prison on other charges.
"The evidence developed over the past 13 months indicates that Guzman aided and enabled by an inner circle of top level distributors and confidants ran a multi-million dollar cocaine trafficking business while behind bars," said Conley.
Conley believes that many of these individuals arrested are active, driving members of the Boylston Street Gang which has now been engaged in a deadly feud with their Mozart Street rivals for nearly five years.
"We had a dozen shootings and four homicides that can be attributed to this feud that was occurring between Boylston and Mozart," said Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis.
Conley says court-approved wiretaps played a major role in gathering evidence that enabled authorities to make the arrests.
Four of the Rodeo defendants were arraigned Monday. The judge set bail for the four at between $10,000 and $25,000 per person.
The rest of the defendants will be arraigned on Tuesday.
