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Feds penetrated drug culture easily at San Diego State

By ALLISON HOFFMAN, Associated Press Writer 44 minutes ago

SAN DIEGO - Undercover agents who posed as college students to bust more than 100 suspected drug dealers at San Diego State University never had to crack a book to gain acceptance on campus. All it took was cash.
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The federal agents went to one or two parties but never actually went to class or lived in the dorms. Instead, they merely arranged meetings with suspected dealers and asked about buying cocaine, Ecstasy, methamphetamine, marijuana and other drugs, authorities said Wednesday.

"All it took was saying, `Hey, I go to State, can you hook me up?'" said San Diego County prosecutor Damon Mosler. "And then it was off to the races."

The day after the drug sweep landed members of three fraternities in jail and led to the suspension of six frats, investigators revealed how easy it was to penetrate the university's drug culture.

Students who had gotten caught for fighting, drinking, minor drug offenses or other crimes quickly turned informants and used text messages to introduce their drug dealers to undercover agents. Dealers made handoffs in front of dorms, in parking lots or behind frat houses, sometimes in broad daylight in full view of surveillance cameras.

They apparently made little effort to launder their spoils. One fraternity brother arrested Tuesday drove his Lexus directly from a $400 cocaine sale on campus to a nearby bank, where he deposited the cash, according to court papers.

That came as a surprise to agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration, who were used to being thoroughly screened by dealers scared of being arrested.

"They never gave any thought that we could be doing an operation there," said Eileen Zeidler, a spokeswoman for the DEA office in San Diego.

At least 75 people arrested during the five-month sting were San Diego State students, and 13 of them were from seven fraternities. All together, there were 128 arrests, 61 on Tuesday. Theta Chi had the highest number of students arrested, with five.

Campus police started the probe a year ago after the cocaine overdose death of a freshman sorority member, but they soon called in federal agents to provide fresh faces on campus and supply the money needed to make drug buys.

That was a major departure from the arms'-length relationship that has existed between colleges and police since the 1960s. For decades, police in many communities have largely turned a blind eye to drugs on campus.

The DEA had been on campus at San Diego State before, to help investigate a student suspected of cooking methamphetamine for his own use in a campus chemistry lab, and campus police said they cooperated with the FBI after receiving a hoax threat in the wake of last year's Virginia Tech shootings. Yet the invitation to federal authorities was unusual because it involved an open-ended investigation that didn't involve a violent crime.

"In general, universities are pretty jealous of their prerogatives and are uneasy about welcoming outside authorities onto campus," said Todd Gitlin, a professor of journalism and sociology at Columbia University,a former student radical and a leading authority on the '60s counterculture. "There's a real reluctance at universities to call on outside police."

University President Stephen Weber defended the decision to bring federal authorities onto campus.

"Some have asked what we think this publicity has done for SDSU's reputation. I have told them I am proud of the action taken by SDSU to proactively address this serious threat to our students," Weber said in a statement Wednesday. "As a parent I would want my son or daughter to attend a university committed to providing the safest possible environment."

Some students and parents complained that the bust was heavy-handed.

Danielle Patterson, a sophomore sorority member, said she was awake cramming for finals when agents raided an apartment behind her building, pounding on doors and marching boys down the block to the college arena, where they were questioned.

"I never thought something like that would happen here," she said. "To think they think drugs are such a big issue here, it's ridiculous."

Parents joined students at a campus rally Wednesday calling for more drug-abuse treatment instead of tougher enforcement.

"This heavy hand coming down is not going to change drug use on campus," said Gretchen Burns-Bergman, whose son is a month away from graduating. "There's not going to be a shortage of drugs on campus."

During the investigation, agents quickly worked their way to Fraternity Row, where the main target was Theta Chi. They discovered six of its members were operating a sophisticated drug business, with younger "apprentice" members accompanying older members to drug deals in order to learn how the business was run, authorities say.

The ringleader, a 19-year-old, brazenly sent out text messages advertising weekend blowout sales on cocaine, authorities say. Apart from that, however, the fraternity did little to attract attention. In fact, it was known for having a no-alcohol policy at its rundown gray house.

"Theta Chi did not have that reputation, nothing that would have led us to suspect they were the primary purveyors," said Lt. Lamine Secka of the campus police.

One informant told investigators the profits from drug sales were being plowed back into the fraternity's operating budget, according to prosecutors.

The university's fraternities and sororities have about 3,000 members, but they play an outsized role in campus life at the 34,000-student school.

A lawyer for one student arrested last week with about $15,000 worth of cocaine and marijuana did not immediately return a call. The names of the lawyers for some of other defendants could not immediately be learned.

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Associated Press writers Elliot Spagat in San Diego and Greg Risling in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

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To sit down with these men and deal with them as the representatives of an enlightened and civilized people is to deride ones own dignity and to invite the disaster of their treachery - General Matthew Ridgway

jame$thegreat

Not surprised that the DEA made their way into the trade so easily, I am surprised that they had the patience to bust small time college dealers. I understand that the DEA works its way up the ladder by getting small time dealers to flip on their suppliers, but small time dealers of marijuana and prescription medication are hardly what they are generally focusing on. Heroin and methamphetamines are certainly understandable targets.

__________________
Sometimes things dont end up how they should, a son, a brother, a mentor, a teacher, a cousin, a nephew, a grandson and a god in my eyes.

Who knows what he more could have been...

Christopher Muzykant

April 9, 1976-November 4,2005

My Brother, Always and forever

ChrisF202

This wasent small time ... the trail went all the way to the Mexican Mafia and the drug cartels. Several of those arrested were members of the Mexican Mafia posing as students I believe.

TopHatter

James, seriously, did you even read the article?

These weren't street rats holding a bag or two of weed for their street rat buddies to buy.

And did they even mention prescription drugs? I didn't see any references.

What I did see was this:

I mean, look at these idiots:

What does this flake consider to be a "big" issue when it comes to drugs?

We're talking about teenagers here guys. Teenagers doing hundreds or thousands of dollars a pop in hard drugs like cocaine and undoubtedly massive amounts of your beloved pot.

What, does it take Pablo Escobar setting up public warehouse on campus before people see a problem in front of their face?

LetsTalk

Small, medium and large arrests all make a difference.

This story is scary, especially for those who are about to send kids to college!

Good job for the Feds and the Campus police!

dark-alias

You know what they say...ignorance is bliss.

Some of the remarks in this are just absolutely ridiculous, honestly i cannot believe the arrogance, studpidy, and naievety of these students, parents and so on. I think there is going to be some huge national backing for these young adults...oh how can we treat the youth of america like this. As for this to come to the public as such a shock....WAKE up America...i sound like Colbert there for a sec.

dark-alias

This is not an attack on you whatsoever, but how is this scary? When you go off you school you are an adult in 99% of the cases and therefore should have a pretty good idea of right and wrong, and should be able to make sound and clear judgments. For the parents..if they raised their children right and instilled the right values in them then they should have little to worry about, if they are going to do drugs then they are going to do them. 2nd no one is putting guns to their heads saying buy these drugs kid, its all a personal decsion. Face it we have a drug problem, have for quite some time its not news.

Also a cudos to the law enforcement involved

LetsTalk

My mom had 3 boys, we all stayed away from drugs, got 2 kids my self and one on the way. Spend tons of time with them playing ball, watching movies, doing stuff in the back yard, and most importantly talking to them. I have had the drug talk with my daughter several times, started when she was 8. But there are no guarantees in life. And from reading this article, these students were operating with no trouble for some time, and I am sure that San Diego State University is not the only school this is happening at. Good kids make big mistakes sometime, especially while away at school. So while I will try to do the best job I can, I will still worry.

dark-alias

Well done with being an active component in your childrens lives. Its important. Of course there is still plenty to worry about, but IMO if you did it right then just sit back and relax.

? Is this in some way a defense for what they did. A big mistake is having unprotected sex at random binge parties and getting a STD. Starting a drug ring, opening up accounts, and then turning around and recruiting young minds through a frat, is a personal decsion without regard to right or wrong. Did they ever think of any of the consequences of any of their actions not just for themselves but the people to whom they sold to? Iresponsible, i hope their parents are proud!

LetsTalk

Not trying to defend them, I am more worried about by kids trying drugs, having unprotected sex, or doing something really stupid under the influence of alcohol. My wife and I will have to prepare for the sex talks. I will also not support my kids joining any fraternities.

I am sure they will make mistakes, we all do, and when they do I hope they learn from them. I am trying to minimize them and to educate them as much as I can. And hopefully they will also learn from the mistakes of others.

dark-alias

Well Sir, good luck and best wishes for you and your family!

LetsTalk

Thanks!

jame$thegreat

How do you think they get to lieutenants and kingpins in the drug trade? They get small time dealers to flip on their suppliers to get out of jail time. A bit off the point but I'm just throwing it in there to illustrate that even little busts mean something.

The prescription drugs part that I brought up because it is a problem amongst and high school and college students today and is often focused on by DEA. Benzodiazepine and synthetic opiate addiction are becoming commonplace within those demographics.

To be perfectly honest I did not read the article the whole way through and don't claim to. I'm sorry.

dark-alias

You could not be anymore right! For our younger generation (which includes myself at just turning 22) prescription drugs are a readily available, in some cases cheaper alternative to more frowned upon "street drugs." It is almost to simple when your in high school to have you and a group of friends go into your parents, grandparents, aunt, uncle, whomever it may be that is close enough to you so you can gain access to their meds, to take what you want and you and your group of firends get together and have a "pharm-party." America's young-persons do not see it in a bad light like they would herion because its a prescribed med, and "my parents use it" mentalitly. The american public has such a heavyreliance on RX's that there will always be a supply (from inside our own house) its an issue and i dont have even a good suggestion h\on how to control it.

If anyone does, please bring it up!

jame$thegreat

I have never actually heard of any of these taking place and personally are beginning to believe that they are a media mistake, parties where people take lots of prescription medication, sure; parties where there is a bowl full of pills and kids just scoop 'em up and eat 'em, doubt it. That would be the most insanely stupid thing I have heard in my entire life.

Many youths do not even know the first thing about the pills they are taking 9 time out of 10, but scooping up assortments of pills is just a bad idea through and through. Especially when the recreational they are seeking such as generic Viccoden (hydrocodone) looks so similar to a slew of other pills.

Even more frightening is the pills these youngsters are taking, Xanax (alprozolam) is thought to be a harmless anti-depressant to many while in reality it is a powerful tranquilizer that can cause blackouts in less that 10mg as well as serious addiction complications that are in some ways worse than cocaine or alcohol withdrawals. Or Oxycontin (oxycodone) a highly powerful opiate that has enormous addiction potential (the equivalent of heroin addiction).

Guess how much these pills would set a kid back on the street? Xanax (2mg) $5 a piece, Viccoden (5/500 mg hydrocodone/APAP) $3 a piece, Oxycontin (20mg) $10 a piece. What are the chances that your kid could that into his/her allowance.