If convicted, some could face up to life In federal prison and pay hundreds of thousands in fines. Pompano Beach, FL 33062. Antonio Montes, a 55-year-old resident of Corpus Christi, pleaded guilty Wednesday in the Southern District of Texas to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamines. Seattle - A 39-year-old Woodinville, Washington, resident was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 108 months in prison, for his role as the leader of a conspiracy to distribute narcotics including fentanyl, meth, and heroin, announced U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. Lori Oliphint, 43, of Temple was named in an indictment charging possession with intent to distribute less than 50 grams of methamphetamine. Deputies seized more than 20 . This undated photo provided by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection shows seized drug bundles containing 132 pounds of methamphetamine on display from Feb. 25, 2021, at the Laredo port of entry. Official websites use .gov Attorneys Christine Lu, Sherin Daniel and Leo J. Leo III are prosecuting the case. The sheriff's office, DEA, Fort Worth and Dallas police all helped in the investigation, said Waybourn, who warned drug dealers in North Texas. Milgram said the DEA has seized xylazine and fentanyl mixtures in 48 states. "We're coming for you," the sheriff said. The amount of drugs seized was so large, a hazmat crew from the Houston Police Department were called in to assist.4, Investigators with Homeland Security Investigations conducted what they claimed to be the largest meth seizure in Houstons history. Some also allegedly conspired to commit money laundering and illegally transferred or transported money from the United States to Mexico to promote the illicit drug smuggling activities. MN News. The most recent tally shows they found 6,000 pounds of meth, increasing the street value to about $1 million. Washington Drug Dealer Sentenced to More Than 12 Years in Prison for Trafficking Methamphetamine, Heroin, Cocaine and Fentanyl to Cascade County, Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. The indictment, returned Feb. 10, alleges the individuals engaged in a variety of fentanyl, cocaine, meth, heroin and marijuana transactions. Please use another browser (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge) to view. They are considered fugitives and warrants remain outstanding for their arrests. CLAY COUNTY, Fla. The Clay County Sheriff's Office said Thursday 44 people are behind bars following a massive drug bust. Jose Luis Ibarra-Valle has been in custody. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Have a question about Government Services? CBP officers and a canine at the Colombia Solidarity Bridge discovered 139 pounds of methamphetamine in several buckets within a . Drug and alcohol addiction is a nationwide epidemic, please reach out if you or a loved one is suffering. On Tuesday, deputies said they recovered a little more than 134 pounds of methamphetamine, a little under three pounds of marijuana, one semi-automatic shotgun, and three handguns. These smaller bags wouldve been used for drug distribution. El Paso County sheriff's investigators arrested a man and a woman accused of selling 50,000 fentanyl-laced pills in a drug bust in a restaurant parking lot last week. Published: Aug. 11, 2021 at 6:12 PM EDT. Drug Seizure Statistics FY2023. The agencies within the TAG came together and worked together and were able to find these drugs and get them off the street so McLennan County did great here also working in conjunction with the TAG, and so were just thankful for the work that they did to remove these drugs from getting in childrens hands, or anybody elses hands., Sheriff McNamara said the estimated street value of the methamphetamine seized is in excess of $530,000. Those arrested includes: Prasad. In the first seizure, which resulted in the current investigation, a police officer pulled over a vehicle that had a license plate matching a stolen vehicle. A Fort Worth father who conspired with his son to deal methamphetamine was sentenced Thursday to 40 years in federal prison. The average number of deaths per month has risen from 114 in 2019 to 209 deaths per month in 2021. By 2021, that number had grown to 1,672. Some of the information was released on Wednesday. 26-year-old Charles Zenker of Houston. According to the charges, the crimes happened between Dec. 10, 2020, and Dec. 15, 2021. The agents also arrested Hector Manuel Castro-Quirino, 47, and his girlfriend Vanesa Ann Cervantes, 38. Bond said the meth was likely produced in a lab in Mexico "in a high-quality situation" and then converted to liquid and smuggled into the United States. Celeb drug busts in 2015: 8. (WVIR) By NBC29 Newsroom. Jeffery Friar. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found on the Department of Justices OCDETF webpage. Details of the investigation, which started in October 2020, were revealed in court records filed this week that included an indictment charging four people with involvement in a drug ring that . The declaration from Dr. Rahul Gupta, the director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, requires the Biden administration to develop a federal plan to address the crisis. From 2020 to 2021, xylazine-linked deaths increased more than 1,000% in the South, 750% in the West and more than 500% in the Midwest, according to a DEA report released last year. IE 11 is not supported. They also found drug ledgers containing customer and payment information, as well as 14 firearms, some of them loaded. This collaborative effort involving multiple law enforcement agencies both locally and nationally shows our mission is unified in apprehending those that allegedly bring drugs, crime and unrest to our communities, said Comeaux. A Decatur couple face charges related to the bust at their home. Mexican suppliers are especially responsible for most heroin and methamphetamine production, while cocaine is more often made in Colombia than transported to the U.S. via Mexican criminal organizations. A man named Hector Manuel Castro-Quirino, 47, and his girlfriend Vanesa Ann Cervantes, 38, were residents of the two-bedroom home. As the presidents drug policy adviser, I am deeply concerned about what this threat means for the nation, Gupta told reporters during a briefing call on Tuesday, later adding: We must act and act now.. region of the country in recent years. Houston rapper given 23 year prison sentence for drug trafficking. In total, nearly 30 pounds of cocaine, half a pound of meth, more than a pound of brown heroin, three ounces of black tar heroin, two ounces of Fentanyl, $330,000 in cash, nine firearms and three . 16 . Cocaine, Meth, & Firearm Drug Bust in Dallas. The crimes allegedly involve drug trafficking and related activities in the Houston and Galveston areas. Mr. Castro allegedly fled to the attic before surrendering; Ms. Cervantes was confronted in the kitchen. Celeb drug busts in 2018: 20. Charles Cook. 0:55. Those arrested in the Houston area are expected to make initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christina A. Bryan in Houston beginning at 2 p.m. today. We knew there was a possibility there would be quite a bit of dope there, but that is a huge quantity of methamphetamine, said McNamara. Official websites use .gov 68-year-old Benny Daneshjou of Austin. If you or a loved one are struggling with drugs or alcohol, call us now! During the coordinated law enforcement effort that spanned multiple jurisdictions and states, authorities took a total of 50 people into custody. During an Aug. 21, 2018, traffic stop on Texas 249, . People who inject it can develop flesh wounds, including blackened, rotting tissue (known as necrosis); if untreated, those injuries may result in amputation, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration. Cory Joe Barton, 35, of Gatesville was named in a separate indictment charging conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine that alleges he possessed at least 500 grams of meth on Nov. 11, 2020. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 107,735 people in America died from August 2021 to August 2022 from drug . Both were charged with engaging in organized criminal activity, a first-degree felony. This is a highly addictive drug that can lead to mental illness, increased risk of contracting HIV/AIDS, cardiovascular disease, and more. Fifteen local residents --Jose Francisco Gutierrez, 33 of Killeen; Sarah Elizabeth Crigger, 30 of Nolanville; Bobby Quinton Gentile, 43 of Holland; Ashley Nicole Sutton, 31 of Belton; Wesley Warrick, 50 of Cameron; Carlos Avila, 38 of Buckholts; Joe David Beck, 50 of Temple; Lesleigh Arianne Bittner, 33 of Belton; Aleah Freitag, 29 of Rockdale; Kimberly Lee, 26 of Gatesville; Colton Lane Lewis, 30 of Temple; Angela Loy, 32 of Temple; Frank Medina, Jr, 43 of Temple; Timothy Neal Nyquist, 36 of Temple; and Trisha Ann Sanchez, 40 of Temple--are named in indictments alleging they conspired since January 2020 to distribute multiple kilogram quantities of methamphetamine in Bell County and surrounding areas.. is proceeds of an illegal drug . U.S. Suite 115 OMAHA, Neb. Their diligent efforts further our common goal of dismantling whom we believe are drug trafficking organizations by targeting their leadership and soldiers as well as intercepting narcotics and suspected ill-gotten financial gains.. Fentanyl is the leading cause of death for Americans ages 18 to 49, according to a recent . Deputies searched a home Tuesday in the . The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration said its Dallas division made the biggest . 2300 U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers seized nearly 200 pounds of illegal drugs and arrested 23 fugitives last week. White House sounding alarm over drug 'tranq', the Office of National Drug Control Policy, according to the National Institutes of Health, according to the Food and Drug Administration, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. |, 2020 Drug Enforcement Administration National Drug Threat Assessment, Cocaine, Firearms, $1.6 Million Cash Recovered In Drug Bust, DEAs Dallas office announces seizure of $45 million in meth, heroin its largest bust ever, $1 million meth bust in Liberty County could be biggest one ever in countys history, More than $3.4 million in methamphetamines, other narcotics seized in north Houston, Empowering Communities with Narcan: FDA Approval for OTC Use. It makes most others look like child's play. On July 13, they raided the residence . Secure .gov websites use HTTPS During the investigation that led to the indictments, authorities seized about four kilograms of cocaine, seven kilograms of methamphetamine, and a half dozen firearms. According to the complaint, the investigation began in June, when law enforcement was tipped off about drug dealers operating out of a home on South Acres Drive in Dallas. Northern District of Texas 32-year-old . More than 107,000, people died of drug overdoses in the U.S. from August 2021 to August 2022, . Fentanyl-laced pills are a threat not only in Central Texas, but also across the country, said DEA spokesman Sammy Parks. Judd said 85 people were arrested as a result of the investigation and authorities seized 268 pounds of methamphetamine and 6.8 ounces of fentanyl. The U.S . During a traffic stop involving a refrigerated tractor-trailer, law enforcement found 1,950 pounds of drugs (worth about $45 million), making it the biggest methamphetamine seizure in North Texas. Corporate Headquarters: A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law. Xylazine is not approved for human use, and ingesting it can cause serious, life-threatening effects, according to the Food and Drug Administration. David Maldonado managed to drive away from federal drug agents after he agreed to cooperate with them. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. As of 15 December 2021 the Drug Seizures dashboard now includes seizures of all drug types. "This . The DEA issued an alert last month warning of a sharp increase in the trafficking of fentanyl mixed with xylazine., Xylazine is making the deadliest drug threat our country has ever faced, fentanyl, even deadlier, DEA Administrator Anne Milgram said in a statement March 20. . A criminal complaint is merely an allegation of wrongdoing, not evidence. 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