South Florida called 'smuggler's supermarket' for all types of contraband

[Judi Lynn]

South Florida called 'smuggler's supermarket' for all types of contraband

By Ann W. O'Neill
Staff Writer
Posted September 26 2003

The middle-aged Iranian said he'd come to buy medical supplies and chemical protection equipment, stepping off a flight from London last Thursday afternoon and passing through customs at Miami International Airport.

In fact, authorities say, Serzhik Avassapian, 40, had come to illegally buy restricted fighter jet parts and, if all went well, perhaps a few helicopters. The idea, he told an undercover Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent, was to buy mothballed F-14 Tomcat fighter jet parts here and export them to Iran through Italy.

Why did Avassapian come shopping here for mothballed jet parts? For the same reasons pirates, rum-runners, drug smugglers and others who deal in contraband always have found South Florida an attractive place to do business, experts say.

"South Florida has evolved into a smuggler's supermarket," said Kendall Coffey, a former Miami U.S. Attorney now in private practice. "It doesn't get any wilder than South Florida. I don't think you could name a form of contraband for which this is not a significant marketplace."

And so, as past prosecutions have shown, everything from Stinger missiles to cargo planes can be bought here for a price. (snip/...)

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[teryang]

1. How do you smuggle C-130s and military helocopters

The "smugglers did it." Americans still believe in the tooth fairy.

[pinerow]

2. I'm not sure if your response to the post was meant to be

sarcastic or not, however, unless you've been living under a rock for the past thirty years or so, arms and fighter equipment have been smuggled out of the U.S on a regular basis.

The real question is not whether this sap was trying to procure arms for Iran or not; when will the Coast Guard and the Custom services stop the illegal exportation of arms to Venezuelan and Cuban "dissenters".

Let me remind you of a little chapter in our recent past, something called the Iran - Contra affair, of which many of the players are in this mis-administration.

So just to clue you in, this "tooth fairy" story may be myth, the idea of coming to South Florida to buy illegal ammunition and fighter jet parts are hardly beyond the pale.

[teryang]

5. Thanks for clueing me in

My point is that movement of C-130s and military helocopters doesn't take place without government sponsorship, regardless of the cover stories.

[htuttle]

4. I wonder how much of this stuff is acquired by the terrorists in Florida?

You know, these guys:

http://www.comandosf4.org/

Maybe a better question is, how many of the weapons that end up in terrorists' hands are paid for by US tax dollars?

[DoYouEverWonder]

3. Sounds like business as usual for So FL

There is an aircraft junk yard near the Miami In't Airport. Great place for stainless steel fittings and all kinds of weird crap. I wouldn't be surprised if some weird stuff passed through there.

[pinerow]

9. Where did you get that information,

The Miami Mafia? You must kmow them, the ones who paid Elians' uncles to keep him hostage in Miami

[DoYouEverWonder]

10. About the junk yard or CANF?

I lived in Miami for 13 years. The junk yard was a place I've been too a couple of times (looking for parts to use on a boat I lived on.)

The CANF stuff is mostly what I read on the internet, but a pal of mine was Jeb's plumber (literally) when Jeb had his development Co on Brickell Ave.

[DrDan]

6. considering our governor's wife was caught smuggling

sort of sets the tone, doesn't it

[DoYouEverWonder]

7. Considering that the governor's

business partner, Armondo Codina was a drug money launderer, what do you expect? That's how Columbia started to be able to afford all of that fancy stuff in the first place.

[donsu]

8. they also smuggle infants from Cuba

to childless Miami area Cubans

they take a wet nurse on the boat to care for the infant on the return trip to Fl.

[leesa]

11. It's no wonder the Bush Crime Family installed Jeb there to keep

tabs on their cut of the bidness.