Authorities have dismantled a drug-smuggling operation that they say involved large quantities of narcotics coming into Los Angeles from Mexico before being distributed in the U.S. and Canada by long-haul truckers.
The cross-border operation dubbed “Operation Dead Hand” saw 19 people charged in two U.S. federal indictments for their alleged roles in the organized crime syndicate, including Roberto Scoppa, a Montreal man alleged by authorities to be a large-scale Canadian trafficker and Italian Mafia figure.
“This conspiracy spanned three countries and involved drug suppliers connected to cartels in Mexico, drug distributors and brokers in Los Angeles, Canadian truck drivers and a network
