Las Vegan, 58 others arrested in sting

Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2005 | 9:50 a.m.

SUN STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

Federal authorities arrested 59 people, including one person in Las Vegas, Sunday on charges of international smuggling and money laundering.

A total of 59 people were arrested in 11 cities in Canada and the United States, including Baltimore, Chicago, Cincinnati, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York, Newark, N.J., Philadelphia and San Diego.

An FBI spokesman in Las Vegas confirmed there had been an arrest in connection to the smuggling ring in Las Vegas, but could not confirm the charges or other details.

An FBI spokesman in Newark, where indictments were unsealed Monday, said details on each of those arrested were not yet available.

People who thought they were headed to a Sunday afternoon wedding on a yacht docked near Atlantic City ended up in jail instead. Federal officials set an elaborate ruse by offering to ferry guests to the yacht, then arrested them.

Operation Royal Charm was named for the yacht. The operation took seven months to unfold. The bride and groom were actually undercover FBI agents who worked with accused smugglers for several years, a Justice Department statement said.

"Invitations were sent out, a date was given and RSVPs were received from different points around the world," said Christopher J. Christie, the U.S. attorney in New Jersey.

"One guest even brought a pair of gold Presidential Rolex watches," New Jersey FBI Special Agent in Charge Leslie G. Wiser Jr. told reporters in Newark.

A lengthy undercover investigation on both sides of the country resulted in indictments of 87 Asians and U.S. citizens on charges of smuggling of counterfeit money, drugs and cigarettes into the United States, law enforcement officials from the Justice and Homeland Security departments said Monday when the indictments were unsealed.

Authorities said they seized $4.4 million in high-quality fake $100 bills, more than a billion counterfeit cigarettes worth $42 million and drugs including Ecstasy, methamphetamine and Viagra worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, the indictments said.

None of the counterfeit money or drugs made it into circulation, but some cigarettes did, officials said. Agents posed as smugglers and arranged to import fake cash, cigarettes stamped with the Marlboro and Newport brands, and drugs in cargo containers that arrived in Long Beach, Los Angeles and Newark.

In the California operation, officials seized the bulk of the cigarettes and called it Operation Smoking Dragon.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.