SDSU President Disputes Student Arrest Figures

SAN DIEGO -- San Diego State University President Stephen Weber is disputing statements from the District Attorney's office that 75 students were arrested this week in connection with an undercover drug sting.

In a written statement published in Thursday's Daily Aztec, SDSU's student newspaper, Weber said only 33 students have been arrested -- not 75 as reported Tuesday.

"To date, 33 students have been arrested; each of those students has been suspended. We believe we have arrested the majority of those involved," Weber said.

Later Thursday, Weber's office issued a news release seeking to clarify the discrepancy.

"Since our announcement Tuesday of a successful SDSU-initiated operation to identify and apprehend individuals engaged in illegal drug-related activities on and around our campus, there have been questions about the number of SDSU students arrested in this operation."

"The number SDSU released – 33 – was based on students actually arrested as part of the special operation. The number the District Attorney’s office released Tuesday – 75 – includes additional drug-related arrests by SDSU Police on and around the campus that have occurred since January 2008."

"The difference between these numbers as it relates to the seriousness of these arrests or the importance we all place on holding those who traffic in illegal drugs accountable should be of little consequence. For us, one student is one too many."

"As indicated in the full-page ad in today’s Daily Aztec, our university leaders are committed to tackling this important issue – through enforcement and education – to ensure the safety of our students."

"SDSU continues to work cooperatively with the Drug Enforcement Administration and the District Attorney’s office, and we continue to view drug use on university campuses as a serious issue. SDSU wholeheartedly supports the operation we initiated in 2007, which is ongoing, and will continue to aggressively enforce drug laws on and around campus," the news release said.

The District Attorney's office has said more than 120 people have been arrested this week in connection with selling cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamine and other drugs out of fraternity houses. Of those, 75 are students, the DA has said.

"Operation Sudden Fall" produced the largest campus drug bust in San Diego County history, according to Ralph Partridge, special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration's San Diego Field Office.

The operation was sparked by the death last year of a college freshman found dead with cocaine and alcohol in her system the morning after she attended a fraternity party.

Undercover agents infiltrated the campus by attending fraternity parties. The alleged ringleader, 19-year-old Theta Chi member Kenneth Ciaccio, was scheduled to be arraigned Thursday.

Theta Chi is one of the six fraternities placed on suspension following the arrests. The others are Lambda Chi Alpha, Phi Kappa Psi, Phi Kappa Theta, Sigma Alpha Epsilon and Sigma Alpha Mu.

The fraternities were suspended pending a hearing about their involvement in the drug dealing, Weber said.