DEA bans K2, other 'fake pot' products

The United States Drug Enforcement Administration used its emergency powers Wednesday to ban K2 and other "fake pot" products that mimic the effects of marijuana. The action by the Drug Enforcement Administration makes it illegal to possess or sell the five chemicals used to make the products for at least one year. The agency and the Department of Health and Human Services will determine whether the chemicals should be permanently added to the federal list of controlled substances considered unsafe, highly abused and without medical use.

The herbal blends coated with synthetic chemicals are marketed under brands such as Spice, Red X Dawn and K2. They are usually sold as packets of incense or potpourri at convenience stores, herbal and spiritual shops and online. The packets can sell for as much as $35 an ounce and have become popular as a legal alternative to marijuana among teenagers and college students. The chemicals are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration for human consumption, the DEA said in its federal notice.

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Extradition from Romania for Colombian Drug Boss

Preet Bharara, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Michele M. Leonhart, the Acting Administrator of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), announced the arrival today of Jesus Eduardo Valencia-Arbelaez, aka "Padre," aka "Pat," who was extradited from Romania this morning to face cocaine trafficking and money laundering charges in the Southern District of New York.

Valencia-Arbelaez was a leader of a sophisticated international cocaine trafficking organization (the Organization) based in Colombia and Venezuela that operated worldwide, including in Bolivia, Spain, Holland, Sierra Leone, Guinea Conakry, Mauritania, Mali, Cyprus, and the United States. Beginning in September 2007, members of the Organization sought to purchase a cargo
airplane for the purpose of transporting metric tons of cocaine from Venezuela to West Africa.

Between September 2007 and March 2009, Manuel Silva-Jaramillo, a member of the Organization arrested earlier this year, conducted meetings in connection with the Organization's efforts to acquire the airplane in, among other places, Madrid, New York and Virginia. Silva-Jaramillo arranged to finance the purchase of the airplane through a corporation based in Cyprus and to register it in Sierra Leone.

"Manhattan U.S. Attorney Announces Extradition", Reuters, 9/3/09.

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