‘Pan Am’ Cocaine Ring Smashed

NEW YORK — Federal authorities said today they smashed a major international drug ring dubbed “The Pan American Conspiracy” that smuggled more than $1.5 billion of cocaine into the country from Brazil aided by Pan Am airline employees.

The scheme allegedly brought in more than 200 pounds of the drug through New York’s Kennedy Airport each month for the last six years. Many of the 26 airline employees charged in the smuggling scheme surrendered today. The accused ringleader, a U.S. citizen operating out of the Netherlands, was arrested last week with his brother, and $400,000 in cash and a small amount of cocaine were seized from a safe deposit box held in his name.