Anatomy of a Bust
While the city has always been a major drug distribution hub, larger quantities are arriving from Mexico, according to DEA spokesman Mark Hannan. He says drug shipments are increasingly routed through that country because of expanded commerce and traffic across the U.S. border brought about by the North American Free Trade Agreement.
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The federal government’s figures support the trend. In 1993, DEA agents seized 627 pounds of cocaine in Chicago. By 1998, that amount had grown more than 15 times larger–last year agents snared 9,526 pounds.
Now Chicago police are also setting their sights on bigger game, beefing up efforts directed at those who transport and distribute larger quantities of drugs. Police narcotics agents pursue leads just about anywhere in the region, often traveling outside the city limits. The February 23 bust wasn’t even in Chicago–it happened in an industrial park in the southwest suburb of Crestwood, near I-294 and Cicero Avenue.
“You could be watching for months, and a bus could go by and you’d miss everything,” says Cline, “which is why if the guys want to grab a sandwich or do anything they’ve got to get somebody to cover for them.”
“One came up to a light, made a turn, hit the first alley, then came right back around. They do that to see if anybody’s following them.
Once police were forced to pursue the vans through a rural area. “When you’re on a dirt road, how do you hide 12 vehicles?” asks Escalante. “It’s a whole lot easier to follow in traffic. We had to split up and meet up further down the line.”
