Authorities from the U.S. and Italy succeeded in busting an international drug trafficking ring between two major mafia groups, the Los Angeles Times reported.
On Tuesday, officials announced that a total 24 people -- 17 from Italy and seven from the U.S. -- were arrested following a two-year investigation that included wiretaps and an undercover agent posing as a heroin dealer.
Suspects arrested in the U.S., including men who went by the names "Lello," "Freddy," and "Charlie Pepsi," were arraigned before a federal magistrate in Brooklyn. Some of them are believed to be apart of the Gambino and Bonanno crime families.
According to law enforcement, they were able to prevent one ton of cocaine from being shipped in liquid form from Latin America to Italy with the help of Mexican cartels. The estimated street value of the drugs came to $1 billion.
Additionally, the mafia groups were planning on smuggling heroin into the United States ever since a surge in the drug's population occurred.
Much of the investigation was focused on the 'Ndrangheta crime group, based in southern Italy, due to their strong connection with Spanish drug cartels.
U.S. Attorney Loretta E. Lynch referred to the 'Ndrangheta as "an exceptionally dangerous, sophisticated, and insidious criminal organization with tentacles stretching from Italy to countries around the world."
Assistant U.S. Attorney Marshall Miller said national law enforcement will not allow 'Ndrangheta to infiltrate American communities.
"What we see here is an attempt by the 'Ndrangheta to gain a foothold in the New York area. We stand ready to prevent the 'Ndrangheta from gaining that foothold," Miller said.
