"4 linked to Orlando airport smuggling"

Thursday, March 29, 2007

4 linked to airport smuggling
Ex-Comair workers among those indicted over guns and drugs
By Pedro Ruz Gutierrez
The Orlando (FL) Sentinel


Four men linked to a gun- and drug-smuggling ring at Orlando International
Airport were indicted by a federal grand jury Wednesday.

Zabdiel Santiago-Balaguer and cousins Jeffrey Lorenzano Cruz and Joel Matos
Cruz were formally charged with conspiracy in an incident at OIA earlier
this month. Another man identified as a contact of Santiago-Balaguer in
Puerto Rico also was indicted.

Santiago-Balaguer and the two cousins were arrested the same week that
Thomas Anthony Munoz, 22, was nabbed at the San Juan airport after
authorities say they discovered a duffel bag with 14 weapons and eight
pounds of marijuana on him.

Munoz, Santiago-Balaguer, also 22, and Lorenzano Cruz, 27, are all former
Comair employees who had access to secure areas of the airport through their
airline duties, including baggage handling and customer service. Comair is a
Delta Air Lines subsidiary.

According to authorities, Santiago-Balaguer recruited Munoz to fly with him
March 5 to Puerto Rico and offered him $4,000.

Both checked in for the flight, but Santiago-Balaguer was pulled off the
plane at the last minute after Orlando police received a call alerting them
to Santiago-Balaguer and contraband aboard the aircraft.

Subsequent checks of passenger manifests and tracing of the men's steps
through OIA led authorities in Central Florida to warn their counterparts in
Puerto Rico about a second passenger and possible smuggling onboard the
Delta flight.

Santiago-Balaguer, who has been identified as the ringleader, was arrested a
day later at his Kissimmee home by an FBI-led task force. Lorenzano Cruz and
Matos Cruz were arrested in a sting operation March 7, when authorities say
they offered cocaine, heroin and a handgun to undercover agents. Matos Cruz
has been named by authorities as the owner of the drugs.

According to court records, Lorenzano Cruz told agents he also was recruited
by Santiago-Balaguer to smuggle marijuana aboard flights to Puerto Rico.

The security breach led to immediate security changes by the Greater Orlando
Aviation Authority and the Transportation Security Administration, which
announced an immediate temporary "surge" of 160 additional officers to beef
up security at airports in Orlando, Tampa, Fort Lauderdale, Miami and San
Juan.

In recent weeks, airport administrators voted to spend nearly $7 million to
revamp security at the airport.

The changes include screening all airport employees who enter secure areas,
stricter checking of employees' and contractors' vehicles at access gates
and adding new security equipment. In addition, $1.8 million will be used to
renew a contract for workers tasked with assisting TSA with non-security
duties to free up more officers to staff the passenger and employee
checkpoints.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Vincent Citro said Wednesday that the investigation
continues and that more arrests are possible.

Citro said Jose Pena Maldonado of Puerto Rico, who was previously identified
by his alias of "Cuello," also was indicted with Santiago-Balaguer. Court
records say someone named "Cuello" wired money to Santiago-Balaguer for gun
and drug purchases.

Maldonado was not in custody as of late Wednesday. The other three were
being held without bail in Central Florida jails.

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