# Drug Bust



## MJS (Aug 15, 2003)

Just read in the latest BB magazine, that Marcus "Conan" Silviera and his brother got busted for drugs.  

I realized that some other MMA fighters got caught using steriods and got booted from some fights, but this was the first time I heard about anyone selling them.

Anyone else hear about this?

Mike


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## arnisador (Aug 15, 2003)

Was it clear that it was steroids, not something else?


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## Old Fat Kenpoka (Aug 15, 2003)

This was in the Miami Herald.  I first heard about it on JiuJitsuGear forum....

"Drug agents arrest 15 people suspected of trafficking Ecstasy
BY JUSTIN WILLETT AND LARRY LEBOWITZ
jwillett@herald.com

SUSPECTED TRAFFICKERS BUSTED: DEA agents busted a ring of suspected drug traffickers Friday. More than 70,000 tablets of the party drug Ecstasy and $500,000 in assets were seized. Marcus 'Conan' Silveira, who participated in amateur fighting competitions, was arrested. NURI VALLBONA/HERALD STAFF 


Federal agents on Friday arrested 15 people who they said were members of a smuggling ring that imported one million pills of the party drug Ecstasy into Miami from Spain between Nov. 2000 and July 2001.

The defendants, who include a Brazilian amateur fighter, a bail bondsman and a man who was expecting to finalize his U.S. citizenship when he was arrested Friday, were among 19 named in a federal indictment that was unsealed Friday. Authorities expect two more defendants to surrender. Two remain at large.

Joe Kilmer, a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration special agent, said the Miami Beach-based smuggling ring was a major supplier of Ecstasy, a pyschoactive drug with stimulant and hallucinogenic qualities that is known for making people feel warm and friendly.

''The agents feel like they identified an extremely close-knit and well-run organization,'' Kilmer said. ``To move one million pills is a lot. To move one million pills two years ago in less than a year is major.''

The case, dubbed Operation Spanish Fly, began in May 2001 when U.S. marshals arrested Eduardo Triana, 31, in Kendall for allegedly failing to appear in a 1998 DEA cocaine case out of Tampa and found 4,000 tablets of Ecstasy. Triana is serving 6 ½ years in prison.

Two months later, the marshals picked up another DEA fugitive and codefendant in the Tampa cocaine case, Edward J. Diaz, 33, at a Miami Beach condominium.

At Diaz's condo, which turned out to be the hub of the Ecstasy ring, agents discovered ''quite detailed'' ledgers that laid out the Ecstasy courier and distribution network, Kilmer said.

Diaz pleaded guilty June 13 but has not been sentenced.

DEA got help identifying the travel records of couriers identified in the ledgers from the old U.S. Customs Service.

The suspects, who are of Spanish, Brazilian and Cuban extraction, picked up the pills in Madrid, then smuggled them into the country using custom-made Neoprene body wraps secured to their ankles, thighs or torsos.

All of the people named in the indictment are charged with conspiracy to import Ecstasy, possession with intent to distribute Ecstasy and money laundering. They could each face up to 20 years in prison. All are from Miami-Dade or Broward County.

Among those arrested was Marcus Silveira, also known as ''Conan,'' a six-foot three-inch, 242-pound amateur fighting participant. His Brazilian ju-jitsu style has earned him a record of 5-4-0, according to Sherdog.com, a Website that tracks mixed martial arts fighters.

Another defendant, Larry Hector Jimenez, was duped into coming to DEA headquarters by immigration officials, who told him he needed to sign papers finalizing his citizenship application. Instead of a naturalization ceremony, Jimenez was handcuffed.

All of the defendants will make appearances Monday in front of a federal magistrate.

The other defendants include: Miami bail bondsman Sandro Deandrade, plus Jose Garcia, Jorge Ramos, Joseph Diaz, Eugenio Jimenez, Carlos Cardenas, Filiberto Casanova, Rovaldo Calero, Marcelo Da Silveira, Angel Gonzalez, Juan Alberto Morales, Luis Torres Correa, Alejandro Morilla, Orlando Imbert Marrero, Seriocha Arroyo Roman, Beatriz Marrero and Rosa Lasserre Sanchez."


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## MJS (Aug 16, 2003)

> _Originally posted by arnisador _
> *Was it clear that it was steroids, not something else? *



This was a bust of ecstasy not steriods.  I was referring to a guy in the UFC that lost his belt because when they did a drug test, it showed that he had used steriods.

Mike


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## ace (Aug 17, 2003)

> _Originally posted by Old Fat Kenpoka _
> *This was in the Miami Herald.  I first heard about it on JiuJitsuGear forum....
> 
> "Drug agents arrest 15 people suspected of trafficking Ecstasy
> ...


  Silveira is a Pro Fighter not an Amt. 

He has Fought in The UFC & Extreme Fighting


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## ace (Aug 17, 2003)

> _Originally posted by MJS _
> *This was a bust of ecstasy not steriods.  I was referring to a guy in the UFC that lost his belt because when they did a drug test, it showed that he had used steriods.
> 
> Mike *



Was Strped of his Titel Do to Steroids.
How Ever there were other Fighters Who fought
On that same Card That also Tested Posotive.

Barnett Wanted to Jump Ship to Pride & the UFC made
an Exampel of Him.

There are alot of Juciers in MMA.


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## MJS (Aug 17, 2003)

> _Originally posted by ace _
> *Was Strped of his Titel Do to Steroids.
> How Ever there were other Fighters Who fought
> On that same Card That also Tested Posotive.
> ...



Thanks for refreshing my memory!  I couldnt remember the guys name.  Anyway, yeah, I"m sure there are many more who juice---I guess Josh was the only one who got caught at the time.  

Mike


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## Disco (Aug 17, 2003)

Somebody tell the DEA not to distroy the drug but how about just sending it all over to Iraq


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## Cruentus (Aug 17, 2003)

That's the first I ever heard of such a thing!? 

(LOL)


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## twinkletoes (Aug 19, 2003)

Barnett is the only one to get caught.  However, I have heard that MANY of the athletes in MMA have (and continue to) juice.  

Steroids is rampant in MMA.  It will be very interesting to see what happens when testing becomes more prevalent.

As for Conan and his brother, it will be interesting to see what happens.  Certainly this is not the publicity that BJJ and MMA need.

~TT


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## ace (Aug 19, 2003)

> _Originally posted by twinkletoes _
> *Barnett is the only one to get caught.  However, I have heard that MANY of the athletes in MMA have (and continue to) juice.
> 
> Steroids is rampant in MMA.  It will be very interesting to see what happens when testing becomes more prevalent.
> ...



He 1 the titel & was going to jump ship to Pride.
He even showed up to a few of there shows with the Belt.

There wer like 3 others on that card Who also tested positive
& nothing came about . 

It dose give fighters an advanteg.
& makes it verryhard to stay clean.

I Belive if they tested all the Fighters & banned them
We would lose 3/4 of the top crop.


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## progressivetactics (Aug 19, 2003)

i think way to much time is spent on trying to find 'users'....

If people want to abuse their bodies...then let them.
If it gets to be too much of a problem...seperate classes...like they did in body building


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