CHICAGO — Federal prosecutors have accused 24 people of using Amtrak’s Southwest Chief to move cocaine and heroin from California to Chicago, the Associated Press reports.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago says the charges were the result of a multi-year investigation called “Operation Derail.” According to court documents, the suspects would often hide the drugs in luggage and items like car parts. At least one of the people indicted was an Amtrak employee who took a package of cocaine at Chicago Union Station.
An Amtrak representative tells Trains News Wire that the passenger railroad participated in the investigation. The representative also says the Amtrak employee mentioned in the federal indictment was “removed from service and awaits administrative actions.’
