3 Ex-DEA Agents Face New Indictment

An expanded federal indictment was issued in Los Angeles Wednesday against three former Drug Enforcement Administration agents and two others charged with drug trafficking and money laundering.

The new indictment against former DEA agents Darnell Garcia, 42, of Rancho Palos Verdes; John Jackson, 39, of Claremont, and Wayne Countryman, 45, of Walnut, and two other defendants adds more currency and customs violations to the original charges issued last October.

Also, the new indictment alleges that early in 1985, Garcia, Jackson, Countryman “and others stole approximately 150 kilograms of cocaine from a ‘stash house’ in the Los Angeles area.” The indictment also has new information concerning bank deposits allegedly made by the defendants in Switzerland and Luxembourg.

Proceedings are expected to begin next month to extradite Garcia from Luxembourg to Los Angeles. He was arrested there last month after being an international fugitive for seven months. Jackson is being held in a federal prison in Los Angeles and Countryman is out on bail. Their trial is scheduled for November.

Also charged are Jackson’s wife, Barbara, and Sherman Lair of Alta Loma.