Authorities Nab Edmonds Man In Drug Case

An eight-year investigation ended Saturday in Edmonds, with the arrest of an alleged middleman between South American drug suppliers and some of the most lethal drug gangs in Oakland, Calif., authorities said.

The FBI said Douglas Harper Berry, 34, was arrested on a federal warrant at a used-car emporium that he apparently co-owned. He had been living in Edmonds under an assumed name.

Berry's case was portrayed on TV's "America's Most Wanted." Shortly after it aired, a tip was received that led to his arrest.

Berry is one of 17 people indicted in 1992 on drug charges. Authorities say the group, headed by Timothy Blutt, was responsible for at least 19 murders in Oakland.

Berry is accused of serving as a middleman between Blutt and a Colombian cocaine supplier, court records indicate. Berry fled the area in 1991 after being indicted. Blutt pleaded guilty to drug charges and is serving a 30-year prison term.