What do drug traffickers who are flush with money, do with all their loot? Some of them are creating their own private zoos. Mexico City police discovered one of these exotic animal collections in a recent raid at one of the city’s mansions.
The house had been investigated since 2005, suspected of being a “party house” for Colombian drug traffickers. The investigation finally came together over the Oct. 18 weekend as police had enough evidence to raid the residence. Inside were a couple dozen partygoers, including a disc jockey, waiters and caterers, who were released.
Police arrested 11 Colombians, two Mexicans, a Uruguayan and Raul Munoz Montalvo from Texas. Marisela Morales, chief organized crime prosecutor, said the gang was headed by Teodoro Fino Restrepo. He allegedly shipped cocaine from Colombia to the Beltran Leyva cartel in Mexico.
Outside in the mansion’s garden, police discovered exotic cats including an albino tiger, a pair of panthers, and two African lions. A chimpanzee was also part of the menagerie seized by the police officers. A large pond on the property held sculptures of crocodiles and a hippopotamus.
The elaborately decorated mansion itself was covered — walls, ceilings and furniture — in ancient Greek and Indian wooden carvings. It housed objects such as a large Buddha and suits of armor.
The guests were picked up at nearby shopping center parking lots in vehicles with blacked-out windows to prevent them seeing where they were going.
"This (arrest) is important, because it breaks a logistic link in the chain that supplies Mexican cartels with cocaine," Morales said.
All the suspects are being held on suspicion of drug trafficking, money laundering and organized-crime activities.