Cartel busting
Sharon's viewpoint
I was busy in my office working on the day's second cup of coffee and yet another revision to the LAPD's code of conduct when I got an unexpected call from Brenda.
"Sharon, can you spare a few hours out of the office this afternoon, hopefully we can wrap up the warehouse case" I thought about it for all of two seconds. Review paperwork or get out and do something useful.
"Sure"
"How about we meet in the foyer at noon, we can all take the same car then" All?
"Where are we off to Brenda?"
"We're heading over to the Wilshire Federal Building; we're going to be the guests of the Bureau for a while" Curiouser and curiouser. Ah well, I'm sure I'd learn more this afternoon.
"Ok, see you then"
I was met in the foyer by Brenda, who told me that we were waiting for Natalie, who popped out of an elevator not 10 seconds later. After exchanging greetings we strode off towards the car park for the 15 minute drive through moderate traffic to the Federal Building.
On the way Brenda explained that they had flipped the new leader of the Blood Catorcie's and fed information to Los Zeta's that their bitter rivals the Sinaloa Cartel were working with another street gang to process a new and much larger shipment of cocaine, in part making up for the one lost when the Zeta's had shot up the drug transhipment point run by the previous Catorcie's leadership.
They had passed info highlighting that the deal would involve members of both Sinaloa and the other street gang, giving the Zeta's a hopefully irresistible incentive to hit the lab.
The fake lab had been set up by the FBI and LAPD in an old light manufacturing building up in the foothills of the Valley well away from prying eyes, staffed by a mix of FBI agents and LAPD officers. The entire area was under surveillance so it was expected that with luck we could bag the same people who had hit the warehouse.
It all sounded promising and by the time we arrived and had been admitted to the Bureau's operations room it was obvious that a lot of work had gone into it.
We were met by Anastasia, who walked us through, introducing us to the Bureau's senior people, many of whom I already knew, plus a Marine Corps Colonel who was in charge of a group of Marines running radio gear over in a corner of the room.
As we chatted, Anastasia reported that LAPD's Tactical Response team and the Bureau's local Hostage Rescue Team was on site and well hidden overlooking the site. They were in contact with the agents and officers inside the building, ready to alert them when things started to happen. That sounded a bit risky so I turned to Anastasia.
"What happens then, there's not a lot of cover in that building, especially if they bring the sort of firepower they did last time" Anastasia nodded.
"I had the same question Sharon. Apparently they moved several sandbag-filled shipping containers inside to provide cover; I was promised that they would stop even a Barrett AMR, so they should be fine even against concentrated assault rifle fire. In addition, they moved anything combustible out of there so there should be almost no chance of fire"
Natalie was looking over curiously at the Marine's.
"What are the Marines here for?" Anastasia shrugged.
"It was agreed, in view of the sort of people we expect the Zeta's to send, that we needed specialist support, so they're providing encrypted communications, surveillance and apparently some airborne assets" She nodded to the image showing the building from up high on the large screen in the centre of the main wall. "That's from a Marine Corps drone that's circling over the facility from really high up, giving us real time surveillance of the site" I nodded.
Surrounding the main screen were several others showing the site from a number of difficult camera angles, two looking back down the canyon from the building, another two obviously concealed in trees looking back at the fake lab.
"I take it we don't know when it's supposed to happen?" Brenda shook her head.
"We passed on that the drugs would be on site between 1 and 4 this afternoon, so that gives us a three hour window. I expect they won't turn up too early, in case things are late getting' started, so figure maybe around 2 or a bit after"
Over the next hour, I circulated, chatting to Bureau personnel I knew, drinking poor quality coffee and munching on bland institutional sandwiches as we waited.
I watched as the Bureau's LA Chief, Assistant Director Martinez, walked up to chat to Brenda, although the conversation must have been a bit forced. Martinez had last seen Brenda with Fritz Howard, who he'd been close to. Now he was talking to Howard's almost ex and looked like he was finding it awkward.
I wandered over to join the conversation, thanking Martinez for his hospitality, which changed the subject and steered it towards safer ground. I noticed Brenda wearing a tight, polite smile, nothing like her usual. As I chatted to Martinez she gave me a small nod when he wasn't looking.
After he drifted off, to everyone's relief, Brenda leaned in and spoke softly for my ears only.
"Thank you Sharon, coffee and dinner is on me next time"
"Not a problem Brenda honey, it didn't look like it was the easiest of conversations"
"You can say that again" she muttered, before turning to offer a genuine smile to a Bureau agent offering another dreadful coffee.
Finally, about a quarter past 2, a Bureau agent spoke up, a green military issue radio handset to his ear.
"Heads up, surveillance reports we've just had a white sedan park down the main access road, driver's not getting out"
In response, the drone's camera covering the building swung dizzyingly across the landscape, before settling on a white late model car, parked by the side of the road. Far enough away to not draw suspicion but close enough to spot any vehicles making their way to the site.
Director Martinez stepped into the centre of the room and spoke, drawing everyone's attention.
"Ok people, looks like it might actually be going down. Tell surveillance to watch that car, but stay covert" he turned to a man in LAPD tactical blues.
"Pass the word to the spotter teams on the ridges, tell them to stay sharp"
The tension racked up over the next few minutes, until a white 4x4 was spotted making its way past the sedan before turning left onto a side fire trail that led up the ridge overlooking the site. A minute later a second vehicle, this time a silver SUV appeared, again passing the spotter before turning right along another fire trail, this time leading up the ridge on the opposite side of the canyon from the first spotter.
As the drone's camera pulled back, we could see both vehicles stop just out of sight of the building, before single individuals exited both vehicles and made their way forward to watch the site from the elevated vantage point of the ridge tops.
At a quick request the camera zoomed in on one of the men, showing him moving forward carefully, binoculars in hand, making his way to a small clump of shrubs overlooking the canyon. I was stunned by the clarity, it was far in advance of the YouTube videos that I'd seen on the evening news reporting from Afghanistan and Iraq, it looked like we were no more than 30 feet above him.
You could easily see the Hispanic features, he was wearing jeans and a polo shirt and had a radio clipped to his belt. Pulling back, the camera focussed on the other ridge line, searching for the other observer, finding him leaning against a tree scanning the area down near the building for signs of life.
At a radioed order, one of the agents inside the building wandered out and lit a cigarette, leaning against the wall against the main door, easily seen by both observers. It must have been enough as one of the observers pulled his radio off his belt and spoke into it.
"Can we intercept it" It was one of the bureau agents. One of the Marine's looked up from his radio.
"Trying, but it's encrypted, you can buy military-grade encrypted radios in electronics stores anywhere these days" He shrugged. "They're keeping it short, smart play, shorter the messages the harder it is to isolate it. It's nothing we can't break given a bit of time but not in real time, sorry"
Martinez spoke up.
"Doesn't matter, it's going down, we can use the decrypts later, once we get them in court"
A tense few minutes later the surveillance team watching the entrance road reported two delivery vans pass them by. One marked UPS and the other FedEx. Brenda leaned in.
"Smart move, no one looks twice at parcel delivery vans anymore" I nodded.
"No one said they were stupid" As the camera tracked them up the road towards the fake lab the agents inside were told to get ready to move into cover.
Martinez conversed with his senior people, including the liaison to the LAPD's Tactical Response team, before turning to the Marine Colonel.
"Colonel Henry, could we please have your support elements moved into position?"
"Yes sir" The Colonel turned to his radio operators. "Inform Bravo Alpha 1 and 2 to launch immediately" Natalie, Brenda and I shared a confused look, before we turned to look at Anastasia, who was standing next to us. She in turn shrugged helplessly.
"I don't know, they've kept a lot of this very need to know, I guess they think I don't"
As we watched, the vans pulled up out of sight of the building, with four men stepping out of each. One group of four hid out of sight, while the second group made their way carefully around the back of the building, leaving a driver in each van. Martinez had had enough.
"Get everyone inside cover now" The order went out over the military's radios, no doubt everyone inside the building was taking cover before it was finished. Martinez kept issuing orders.
"Get the surveillance team ready to move; the moment it goes down I want the access road closed and that spotter taken down. Tell the teams on the ridges the same deal; take the spotters there down as well"
The camera zoomed in enough to see that the group at the front were each carrying assault rifles, looked like M16s, with one carrying a rocket launcher.
"Is everyone inside in cover?"
"Yes sir, they report they are"
"Get ready everyone"
As the tension built we saw the team at the rear set up with a clear line of sight to the building's rear door, obviously to cut down anyone trying to flee that way while the four men at the front moved into position to pour fire in through the door.
Without warning, the man with the rocket launcher dropped to one knew and fired a missile straight into the building's open loading bay roller door, where it hit something and exploded. I could hear a mutter of concern run through the room as we wondered about the officers inside.
The rest of the attackers began firing into the building, either through the open door or right through the graffitied metal walls of the building.
Martinez and at least two others were shouting for people to move, with orders being passed over radios and via cell phones.
At a word from the Colonel, the camera swung back to the main road, to see an 18 wheeler with a white van following moving up the road towards the site. As the semi passed the car and forged ahead, the van schreeched to a stop and the side door slammed open, as at least four officers jumped out with weapons drawn and rushed the white car.
The camera followed the semi as it made its way up the road, before swinging broadside across it and shutting down, completely blocking the exit. We could see the driver jumping down and racing back down the road. Meanwhile reports came flooding in.
"Surveillance team reports the car drivers in custody"
"East ridge spotters in custody"
"Blocking team driver's safely away"
"West ridge spotter's down; he tried shooting his way out"
"Colonel, can we see the west ridge please" At a nod the camera swung up to the ridge and scanned along it, showing a man sprawled, his chest leaking red, a pistol lying next to him, as two camouflaged officers moved in to check on him. The image was almost frighteningly real and clear in technicolour.
On the secondary screens the attackers were still firing into the building, obviously they hadn't heard the shooting on the ridge over the sound of their own guns.
"Move the tactical teams into position" I looked to see Martinez talking to the LAPD officer and another man, who nodded and picked up radios.
As the camera swung back up and covered a wider area, we could see several vans racing up the main road, followed by a convoy of Black and Whites. Martinez nodded.
"Time to let 'em know we're here. Turn on the speakers" He picked up a microphone, keying it a few times before speaking.
"This is Assistant Director Martinez of the Federal Bureau of Investigations. You are surrounded, drop your weapons and you won't be harmed" He repeated it in Spanish, then repeated both the English and Spanish again.
On the screens you could see the see the Zeta's looking around frantically, looking for anyone who might be seen, looking for targets.
"Drop your weapons and put your hands up and you won't be harmed. If you resist you will be fired upon" Once again a Spanish translation followed.
As we watched, we could see the man with the rocket launcher pull out a radio and yell into it, getting more and more agitated as he received no answers.
Martinez tried again in both languages.
"Your associates have been arrested, you are surrounded, drop your weapons and surrender"
I leaned in to Brenda.
"I don't think they're going to go quietly, do you?"
"Almost certainly not, their used to executing people who surrender to them, they probably think it'll happen to them here" Natalie nodded.
"He who lives by the sword, dies by the sword" Anastasia snorted in response.
"More like die by a bullet, I'm wondering when Martinez's going to order the snipers to start taking them down"
On the main screen, we could see the group at the back of the building running round the side, heading for the front to join up with the rest. Their parcel vans started moving to meet them in the front of the building. As we watched they rendezvoused and there was a quick discussion as the rest of their men scanned around them, before they started boarding the vehicles.
"This is your last chance, either surrender or face the consequences of your actions" Repeating it in Spanish got no better reaction. One of the agents turned to Martinez.
"Should we order the snipers to disable the vehicles sir?" Martinez shook his head.
"They're too close to our men in the building, they seem to have forgotten them, but I don't want them getting desperate too close to the building, let them find out the roads blocked" He turned to the Marine.
"Colonel Henry, is the reception committee waiting?" The Colonel looked to one of his men and got a thumb's up, before turning back to Martinez.
"Indeed it is, just give the word Director"
As the two vans accelerated down the road and away from the building, the drone camera focussed on the semi blocking the road, the Zeta's were about to find out they were trapped. You could see heavily armed members of the LAPD and FBI tactical teams scattered around the semi, covering the road. Another screen was showing the road from ground level, obviously set up by the guys on the ground.
As we watched, the first of the vans raced around the last corner, before slamming the brakes on at the sight of the road block in front of them, the second barely avoiding crashing into the back of the first.
As we watched, the Zeta's piled out of the vans and hit the ground prone, obviously prepared to make a fight of it. This could get ugly very, very quickly. The Zeta's were outnumbered but were heavily armed and this could turn into a bloodbath. Martinez spoke again.
"Colonel, could you please send in your forces, front and back"
I looked at the drone's coverage but couldn't see any Marines; I was wondering if he had troops on the ground when I caught a flash of movement at the edge of the camera coverage.
As I watched a heavily armed helicopter moved into view beyond the semi-trailer as the drone's camera pulled back. I heard Ana's stunned voice.
"Holy shit! It's a Cobra, Oh my God, they're just fucked"
I could see the Zeta's staring at the menacing helicopter as it hovered there facing them. Several of the Zeta's started moving back, not that I could blame them, I'd heard of what an attack helicopter could do, let alone to unarmoured men in the open.
As they started to move back, in the screen showing them from ground level I saw another helicopter rise over the hills behind them and drift down towards where they were, boxing them in.
From this angle, the Cobra looked like some malevolently evil insect, studded with weapons under little wings with a deadly-looking long barrelled cannon under the nose swinging back and forward from one man to another. I heard Brenda's comment from beside me, in an exceedingly dry voice.
"Well, I think it's safe to say they're completely outclassed, outgunned and out of options. Let's hope they realise that, I really would like someone left to stand trial"
As we watched, several of the Zeta's stood up and dropped their weapons, holding their hands above their head. I can't say I blamed them; to me those hovering helicopters looked like hungry death just waiting to feast.
Unfortunately their leader started screaming insults at his men, grabbed one of the dropped assault rifles and started shooting at the nearest helicopter, causing the rest of the Zeta's to run from him as fast as they could, desperate to avoid what was coming, all except another who, inspired perhaps or overtaken by a suicidal madness, also started shooting at the other helicopter.
The cannons of the two helicopters each swung towards a target and spat a couple of rounds, only a few but enough to tear a man apart like a broken child's doll. As far as I could tell, their defiance had got both of them nothing but a swift, horrific, meaningless death.
The rest of the Zeta's cowered on the ground as the nose mounted cannons on the Cobra's swung back and forward over them. As we watched, the tactical teams moved in and started cuffing the surviving Zeta's.
Over the sounds of well wishing, cheering and high fives, I heard Martinez demand a status update on the men in the building, who turned out to all be in one piece. At that I smiled myself, I'd been worrying about that very thing, it was good to see it worked out. I turned to see Natalie and Brenda standing there chatting to Anastasia. Natalie was speaking as I re-joined the group.
"Well, that's got to be one of the more unusual arrest videos I've ever seen, even if I wish I hadn't seen the effect of that cannon on those two" Ana nodded.
"Yeah, it's pretty bad, but they shot first" She shrugged. "Stupid move, it cost them big time" Brenda nodded quietly.
"Natalie would you and Anastasia please do me a favour?" They both turned to her.
"Sure Brenda, what is it?"
"Would you both please go and obtain a copy of all of the video footage of today's operation, we'll need it for evidence" Anastasia looked pensive.
"I doubt Martinez will be too happy, but it was your case before the Bureau got involved, so I don't think he'll say no" Brenda smiled happily, before turning to Natalie again.
"Once we get it, I'd like you to cut some footage to give to the media, leaving out the more gratuitous violence, as soon as you can please" Natalie looked surprised.
"Give it, to the media? Why?" Brenda simply smiled at her.
"Natalie, I'm disappointed. You did say, to use your words, that we needed something, anything, to divert the media" She looked at me and winked.
"I have to say, if you can't divert the media from the sniper case for a week or two with video footage of a terrorist attack by Mexican drug cartel enforcers on US soil and their subsequent arrest by a combined operation featuring the LAPD, the FBI and the USMC, featuring the use of attack helicopters in a civilian operation, then you're not half the media manager I thought you were" Natalie was speechless for a few seconds, before spluttering.
"Brenda, you, you planned this? You planned all of this, just to get the media off your back?
Brenda laughed, before she looked away from an obviously stunned Natalie to me and smiled at the expression I was wearing..
"C'mon, Sharon we missed a decent lunch and I promised I'd be the one buying" Turning back to Ana and Natalie, she smiled at them once more.
"I'd invite you both, but I think you're going to be very busy this afternoon"