Town Talk, Alexandria-Pineville, La., Sunday, March 19, 1978 A-5 Heroin Supply Centers in Chicago CHICAGO (UPI) - When the Ma- into the United States at the same from other states, primarily from fia's French Connection was severed time but were not as well organized the eastern half of the country. And six years ago, cutting off major as the Herreras. now we're seeing a great deal of supply of white heroin to the United Jaime Herrera-Navarez, 50, is traffic from Puerto Rico to Chicago, States, police and federal investiga- sometimes referred to as the "god- where Puerto Rican buyers are comtors soon encountered a flood of father" of the family and lives in ing in here and buying substantial Mexican Mud. Durango. Elder family members amounts and taking it back there for They blame a huge Mexican outfit also live in Mexico and younger the market." known as the Herrera family, with members are based in Chicago, The Herreras have lived for gean estimated 2,000 members, for Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles. nerations. in Durango state, infasmuggling billions of dollars worth DEA and Chicago Police Depart- mous for frequent violence, political of brown heroin each year into the ment officials said: corruption and vanishing Mexican country. - About 11 tons of heroin arrives federal agents. They even have a The heroin comes from Mexico's in Chicago each year, about half town named after them - Las HerDurango State to Chicago for distri- supplied by the Herrera family. reras. bution in the Midwest, East Coast About half is shipped out to custom- Little action has been taken and even Puerto Rico, said Vernon ers in other states, generally in the against the Herreras by the Mexican Meyer, regional director of the fed- Midwest and the East. An ounce authorities until recent prodding by eral Drug Enforcement Administra- sells for about $1,000 wholesale and the United States. tion. $5,000 on the street. The Herreras hire peasants to Despite the huge volume and Wholesale heroin sales in the bring the raw opium from poppy equally huge profits - Mexi- Chicago area amount to about $2 bil- fields in the nearby Sierra Madre can Connection, many Herreras hold lion annually. Most of the money is Mountains, Meyer said. They then menial jobs and drive clunker cars invested in legitimate Mexican bu- convert it into heroin in laboratories as they try to blend into Chicago's sinesses. in Durango; usually hide it inside a large Spanish-speaking community. - The Herreras occasionally sell car and have a driver - or "mule" And the closed nature of that com- to the mob but more commonly dis- - take it across the border and to munity and family make penetrating tribute to the street through black Chicago. the organization doubly hard. dealers who have their own organi- Frequently, the drivers do not Meyer said the Herrera organiza- zations of sellers. know they are transporting heroin. tion consists of "members of the Dealers, when arrested, rou- After a series of exchanges from family or close relatives that have tinely post five-figure bonds, jump one driver to another, the auto fisign become members of the family bail and return to Mexico. At least nally winds up in a garage where through intermarriage, or very close 2,000 are now fugitives from Ameri- the gas tank, drive shaft or side pawas associates." can courts. nels are ripped open and the heroin The family has smuggled heroin The elder Herreras "control the collected. into the United States for at least 10 arrangements to collect the raw Only then do the top members of years, Meyer said, but increased opium and convert it to heroin," the Herrera family get involved, operations when the French Connec- Meyer said. "The younger members Meyyer said. They supervise the tion for white heroin was cut in 1972. of the family who reside in the Chi- wholesale sales, keep part of the The Herreras, a conglomeration cago area are responsible for receiv- money and send the rest back to of 15 families, saw the increased ing it as it is smuggled up from Mexico. demand for their drugs as an oppor- Mexico and for the distribution at The money is either smuggled tunity for huge profits and took ad- the wholesale market in the city. back in a car the same way the herLa., vantage of it, Meyer said. Other "The younger ones also control a oin is brought across the border or to Mexicans began smuggling heroin great deal for customers coming money orders are bought at Chicago currency exchanges, under different names and transferred to banks in the Durango area. Heads of the Hererra families in the United States usually work it small taverns, restaurants or neigt borhood grocery stores. Less imptant family members work at jo like bartending and cab driving. But the Herreras in Mexico, ap-• parently feeling more secure there, flaunt their wealth, Meyer said.: Many live on large ranches, drive expensive cars and have invest-: ments in many businesses, including resort hotels. Jaime Herrera-Navarez is the "controller and head man down there," Meyer said. "He's sometimes referred to as the godfather." The Mexican government has is sued an arrest warrant but cannot find Herrera-Navarez. "We do know that he travels a lot, travels under several different aliases and has several different passports," Meyer said. The Herrera family "is the bigg. est (heroin) organization that we know of," Meyer said. "We see heroin leaving here going to Detroit, New Orleans, Tennessee, St. Louis, Indianapolis Cleveland and Puerto Rico." ******************* NIGHT PATROL SERVICE contact HAWTHORNE Patrol Service, Inc. Phone 445-9054 **We watch while you sleep" *******************
