Commuter Train Heroin Trafficking Ring Intercepted

A heroin smuggling ring that involved transporting hundreds of kilos at a time hidden in train engines and compartments has been busted up by federal authorities, as announced yesterday by Acting U.S. Attorney Larry Brown. The heroin operation first came to the attention via two undercover cops in SF's Tenderloin, who ultimately helped trace the drugs back to Michoacan, Mexico, from whence they were smuggled in trains through Southern California, up the Central Valley, and ultimately being sold in SF, Oakland and East Palo Alto. The operation, codenamed "Operation City Commuter," uncovered 200kg of the good stuff and $670,000 in cash, and the whole ring was estimated at over $17M. So remember to take pity when you see those smack kids (who all have dogs, by the way) asking for change: their heroin just got a lot more expensive.