Further inspection discovered nearly 254 pounds of fentanyl worth $3.5 million in a secret compartment, enough to kill 115 million people. Matone is currently being held at the Garland County Jail. The seized opioid was hidden in a false compartment of the vehicle. In 2021, almost 110,000 Americans died from drug overdoses and poisonings, including tiny doses of fentanyl where victims were not drug addicts and often in their early teens. ClipsPoliticsAttorney GeneralDepartment of JusticeDOJFentanylfentanyl crisisForeign Terrorist OrganizationsMerrick GarlandMexican drug cartelsSouthern BorderU.S.-Mexico border. Similar illegal marijuana grow operations are spread across Californias 8th District, with a particularly high concentration in the Morongo Basin and Lucerne Valley. Previous operations included Operation Blue Sky that ended in June 2019, resulting in 32 arrests; Operation Thunderstruck, in February and March 2017, that resulted in 40 arrests; Operation 8 Ball in 2016 that resulted in 49 arrests, and Operation White Horse in 2018 that resulted in 13 arrests. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Both suspects were arraigned, and bail is set at $200,000. Greene said the Task Force had confidential informants working at The Farm but hadnt procured enough information to justify raiding the facility. Furthermore, chemical pesticides used at illegal grow sites can be deadly if ingested by children and adults and endanger local wildlife. San Diego County, Calif., 97 pounds. Deputies with the St. Joseph County Sheriff's Office were sent to a home on S. River . Last month, 21 attorneys general wrote to Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, urging them to designate the cartels as foreign terrorist organizations: The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) reports that Mexican drug cartels, including the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), import dangerous raw materials from China, use them to produce deadly synthetic opioids at low cost, and unlawfully transport those opioids into the United States. Over 2,014 grams, or 4.44 pounds, of meth were seized along with 20 firearms in Hot Springs and Garland County, many of which were in possession of convicted felons prohibited by law from having firearms, Lawrence, project director for the 18th Judicial District East Drug Task Force, said in a news release. Between October 2021 and June 2022, U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized 8,425 pounds of fentanylbeing smuggled into the United States. It was the largest fentanyl seizure ever at a U.S. border crossing. New Zealand police find 3.5 tons of cocaine in Pacific Ocean. A total of 25 individuals were arrested during the round-up. First Assistant District Attorney Cody Brown said that one was filed May 8, 2019, against her and Anthony Stufflebeam for sale to a confidential informant with the second set of charges coming from the Sept. 2019 raid. HOT SPRINGS, Ark. Trucker Juan Antonio Torres-Barraza, a 26-year-old Mexican national, told agents he didnt know he was hauling narcotics. They found a large amount of methamphetamine and firearms inside the home. Officers located and seized 391.5 grams of cocaine, 92.9 grams of methamphetamine, 243.5 grams of heroin, 85.8 grams of marijuana, 22.5 grams of Xanax and $20,878 in cash in addition to drug. Zeybel said they would return through Erie and drop to Titusville they all called Titusville T-Vegas and the meth spiderwebbed through the area to the end user. This was a multi-state investigation involving law enforcement agencies in both Georgia and North Carolina. New Jersey State Police detectives grabbed 88 pounds of fentanyl after observing a drug transaction in a commercialparking lot in North Bergen on June 28, 2017. Congressmen Jay Obernolte (CA-08) and Mike Garcia (CA-25) to Attorney General Merrick Garland asking that the federal government take action to address the growing crisis and prosecute illegal growers to the fullest extent of the law. One Hot Springs woman says she's dealt. Also seized in the investigation were a 2004 BMW, a 2008 Mercedes, two revolvers, two rifles and two 9 mm pistols. The 188 pounds of drugs were worth about $30 million. According to a news release, the. by Some were out of jail on bond and continuing to sell narcotics in the area. The fentanyl was found in a shipment of iron oxide from China. It lays low for a little bit and picks right back up with some different players., steps up and takes over the operation because she understood it., From Akron to the final distribution on a small location or single house in Warren County, we could follow that trail,, That made that intelligence so valuable., great cooperation with outside agencies, accepted our work and realized how valuable it was. Material from the Associated Press is Copyright 2023, Associated Press and may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. Police in Florida issued arrest warrants for over 100 members of a suspected drug gang on Wednesday . After arresting Anna Baker, the agents obtained a search warrant to search her home and seized another 64 pounds of fentanyl. The National Read Across America Day takes place every year on March 2, Geisels birthday. Greene said federal agencies have been fantastic in all of this as well., Zeybel cited great cooperation with outside agencies and said the intelligence provided to ATF was a years worth of worth. He appreciated that ATF accepted our work and realized how valuable it was. It has been called Dr. Seuss Day because of this. - Authorities announced the removal of nearly two pounds of meth and nearly 50 arrests Friday in a six-month-long sting operation. - A total of 21 individuals were arrested between May 28-30 in connection with methamphetamine distribution in Garland County through "Operation Blue Sky," an investigation with the 18th East Judicial District Drug Task Force and other departments that began in January. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Numerous other suspects not related to the Galo, Hooks, or Stringer organizations were also arrested in Garland County for meth and or firearms violations during this operation, Lawrence said, many of whom have previous felony convictions for narcotics sales. Also, there were 17 drug convictions. A Nebraska State Trooper found 118 pounds of fentanyl in a hidden compartment in a tractor-trailer he stopped on I-80. As part of Operation Who's Next?, DTF agents began purchasing meth from a targeted group of individuals who were organized and led by a woman identified as Lessie Galo, 38, of Hot Springs. With all of the intelligence in hand, the Drug Task Force held a meeting with local and federal agencies over a year ago. Neither these AP materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and noncommercial use. Legal Statement. If you use a windshield cover, you can at least forget about scrapping the ice off your windshield to save some time and hassle. Authorities in Southern California have seized more than 16 tons of marijuana worth an estimated $1.19 billion, Los Angeles County Sheriff's . Homeland Security Investigations. "I made a terrible, huge mistake," Baker said, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported. The others arrested include O.V. "Opioids, including fentanyl and its analogues, are a serious public health concern, and the importation of vast amounts of this deadly synthetic chemical compound is a national security threat, Casey Durst, CBP Director of Field Operations in Baltimore said after the seizure. David Nathaniel Jones, 45, Andrew Carter Ownby, 25, and Hope Dockery, 19, all from Murphy, North Carolina . Illegal firearm activity, officials indicate, declined but not the flow of drugs. resulted in 65 arrests related to meth distribution and firearms violations, Prosecuting Attorney Michelle Lawrence announced Friday. LOCKPORT TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) Fourteen people were arrested in a Sunday drug bust in Lockport Township. After stopping a rented vehicle in San Diego County on Nov. 30, 2016, DEA agents seized 33 pounds in the trunk. They had three horses that they would put into a horse trailer that also had living quarters. The investigators involved "are out there working really hard, day in and day out," Lawrence said. It took 18 months of daily intelligence updating to put the puzzle together. The fentanyl was enough to kill 18 million people, investigators said. BENSALEM, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- Bensalem police arrested two suspects and shut down an alleged drug operation running out of an apartment complex on Knights Road. The historic 254-pound bust was just one of a half-dozen big fentanyl busts recorded by law enforcement in recent years, a tally shows. Garland County Sheriff's Office. Due to their near-monopoly of fentanyl trafficking in the United States, senators like Roger Marshall (R-KS) and Rick Scott (R-FL), as well as Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), have sought to have the State Department designate the Mexican drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations akin to the Islamic State, al-Quaeda, and Boko Haram. (KTHV) On Monday, multiple law enforcement agencies participated in a warrant round-up in and around the Hot Springs area. This document may not be reprinted without the express written permission of The Sentinel-Record. When buying cowboy boots, there are a few aspects to consider, such as how far up they go on your legs and their design. Later, investigators searched a storage unit nearby and found four safes that were stuffed with cash, with a total of $1 million. A news release from the New Hanover County Sheriff's Office states that . 36 Two people are behind bars after the Fort Bend County Narcotics Task Force conducted an operation targeting illicit substances being sold in the Houston/Sugar Land area. Jones also faces additional charges of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime. Guns, money bags, drug ledgers and money counters also were recovered. Get the Android Weather app from Google Play, State leaders promote EV jobs to meet growing demand, Food pantry prepares for extra SNAP benefits to end, Paw Paw gives back to support firefighters family, Consumers works to restore power, hosts free breakfast, More Severe Thunderstorms Again South of Michigan, Back-to-back hurricanes more likely to happen. They stayed in various hotels and exchanged the cash for high quality marijuana from Mexico. Drug Task Force. The seizure of the 99 pounds drove home the scope of the problem we face in New Jersey with this highly lethal opioid, Director Elie Honig of the Division of Criminal Justice said. Several members of the organization, including Galo, were recently indicted by a federal grand jury in the Western District of Arkansas for violations related to the distribution of meth, Lawrence said. The investigation initially began with an anonymous tip about the sale of narcotics from the Bucks Meadow Apartment complex. The sheriffs office in Collin County got $68,000, and $344,000 went to the US federal asset forfeiture fund. resulted in 65 arrests related to meth distribution and . or redistributed. Nearly $20,000 worth of fentanyl was taken off the streets, the Hall County Sheriff's Office says, and three arrests were made. Warren County law enforcement were instrumental in uncovering the operation, which Chief County Detective Brian Zeybel described as run like a business.. On Friday, the drug task force searched a home on 3100 block of Albert Pike Road in Garland County. A US attorney from the Eastern District of Texas announced the demise of the drug ring at a recent news conference in Garland TX. A Border Patrol K-9 at the Nogales border crossing sniffed narcotics when an 18-wheeler transporting cucumbers from Mexico came through for inspection on Jan. 31, 2019. A US attorney from the Eastern District of Texas announced the demise of the drug ring at a recent news conference in Garland TX. ", Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. Inside the air conditioning unit for the trailer was all of the cash. While executing the search warrant, suspects Ramiro Murillo Garcia and Wilfredo Sanchez were taken into custody without incident. Often it is smuggled into the U.S. from Mexico by drug cartels involved in a violent war withMexican police and military forces. A total of 65 individuals face state or federal charges related to this investigation and operation, the release said. Eight defendants ended up pleading guilty to charges of drug possession and trafficking. And an additional juvenile arrest for Simultaneous Possession of Drugs and Firearms, Possession of a Defaced Firearm; Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Possession of Schedule IV with Purpose to Deliver. Items recovered during the arrests include drug paraphernalia items, 66 grams of methamphetamine, and 39 grams of marijuana, one shotgun, one sawed off shotgun and one defaced handgun. During that raid, local intel was invaluable., The Farm doesnt cease. All rights reserved. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. LOCAL 1.617.472.5775 Mugshots for, left, Jesus Carrillo-Pineda , 31, Philadelphia, Pa., and, right, Daniel Vasquez, 28, of Somerton, Ariz. (New Jersey Office of the Attorney General). The horse trailer was filled with cash. These illegal grow operations are stealing water resources, damaging the environment, and subjecting communities across Californias 8th District to intimidation and violence, said Rep. Obernolte. He said law enforcement officers in the county were put on notice of a need for backup should they conduct any traffic stops in the southwest corner of the county. Detectives swooped in as the fentanyl was being transferred from a tractor-trailer to the trunk of Mercedes-Benz. "Criminal charges are only allegations of the violation of law and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law," the release said. The drug ring was led by Rufus Rodgers, who rented a ranch in Dallas County. Photo shows fentanyl found in barrels of iron oxide during an inspection by Customs agents at the Port of Philadelphia. 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