largest drug bust in california
Last year, officials seized more than 3 million fentanyl pills in Los . That seizure carried an estimated street value of $2.56 million, CBP said. An international drug ring was busted following a joint operation between the US and . Operation Crystal Shield is a nationwide effort involving 70 to 80 investigators in nine cities including Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix and Atlanta. The Las Vegas Sun newspaper said that three Los Angeles men, one of them a former Mexican customs official, were arrested by DEA agents at an expensive Las Vegas hotel in connection with the seizure. "Because of our great partnerships with other law enforcement agencies, we will continue to disrupt the cartels' flow of drugs into our cities.". According to the criminal complaint, on February 13th, the task force got a tip Clayton . The drugs were intended for distribution in Southern California, including Los Angeles, according to DEA officials, who displayed the haul at the agency's warehouse in an undisclosed location in Los Angeles County. The suspects identified as 37-year-old Rafael Alzua, 41-year-old Galdrino Contreras, 41-year-old Mario Contreras, and 44-year-old Ethgar Velazquez are accused of attempting to transport large quantities of meth after police found them unloading a vehicle filled with the illegal substance on Thursday. "This massive seizure likely saved lives and prevented the Sinaloa Cartel from doing business and profiting on the lives of people in our communities.". On Thursday, Hazell said, the surveillance team saw a car leave the warehouse, and team members followed it to East Los Angeles, where the driver got out and another man got in. The price is going to go up.. Officials say they believe international cartels are behind the illegal large-scale marijuana farms. Read the news release here: https://t.co/BOdi19XyJO #Teamwork @HSISanDiego @DEASANDIEGODiv pic.twitter.com/v68GWLy42O, First published on July 11, 2022 / 9:03 AM. Record DEA bust could "provide a dose of meth for every man, woman and This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. appreciated. Los Angeles, Calmes: Heres what we should do about Marjorie Taylor Greene, This fabled orchid breeder loves to chat just not about Trader Joes orchids, Randall Emmett, Ambyr Childers settle domestic violence restraining order dispute. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of California alleges that agents then saw the men removing dozens of cardboard boxes from the truck and into a Dodge van. "This monumental seizure represents another win against drug cartels that fuel addiction in the United States," said Shelly S. Howe, DEA Special Agent in Charge, in a statement issued with the U.S. Attorney's press release. Read the original article below and watch our original report from . The L.A. plantations also hog water from local alfalfa, carrot, and potato farmers. SANTA ANA, Calif. (KABC) -- Two alleged drug dealers were behind bars Wednesday after what Orange County authorities described as the largest drug bust in the past 16 years. California Drug Bust Found Enough Opioids To 'Kill More Than 50 - MSN More than 170 law enforcement personnel aided in the search warrants and helped in the apprehension of the suspects. 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The operation, which began on June 8, resulted in 22 felony arrests, 109 misdemeanor arrests, and 19 arrests from water theft enforcement teams, officials said. The San Diego Union-Tribune OTAY MESA, Calif. Federal authorities made what they called likely the largest methamphetamine bust in United States history, finding more than 5,528 pounds of the. Copyright 2023 KABC Television, LLC. Miguel Cabrera, the press information officer for the Salinas Police Department, told Newsweek that the department came across some information that kicked off the entire investigation. The search at the Sherman Oaks apartment turned up little, but Dist. Until the seizure in Sylmar, the largest haul occurred on March 10, 1984, when officials seized 11 tons of cocaine in Tranquilandia, Colombia. The cocaine, believed destined for Los Angeles, was 90 percent pure and of Colombian origin, said Ted Hunter, special agent with the federal Drug Enforcement . Los Angeles authorities said further arrests were expected. The DEA told FOX 11s Bill Melugin that the COVID-19 pandemic had actually somewhat slowed down the Mexican drug cartels ability to get drugs into SoCal because of increased security at the US border. In November, Spitzer warned drug dealers and distributors in the county that they could be charged with murder if their drug activities result in someones death. #KeepingYouSafe @SDSheriff K-9 Milo is a very good boy after helping our deputies and law enforcement partners make one of the biggest methamphetamine busts in #SanDiegoCounty history. Federal authorities said contents of the seized packages weighed more than 5,000 pounds, an amount they believe constituted at least one of San Diego County's largest methamphetamine busts in history. 6:23 AM EDT, Sat July 9, 2022. SAN DIEGO . Massive federal drug bust, likely the largest in the Bay Area, nets How Alaska became one of fentanyl's deadliest frontiers, FDA panel backs allowing a naloxone spray to be sold over-the-counter, Biden to tout fentanyl smuggling crackdown in State of the Union. NORCO, Calif. (KABC) -- More than 3,000 pounds of methamphetamine and 66 kilograms of cocaine were found in a massive drug bust in Norco last month, making it the largest seizure of meth for the Drug Enforcement Administration's Los Angeles Division. Lochridge said the suspects, who were not identified, will remain in federal custody over the weekend and probably will be arraigned Monday on state smuggling charges. The 10-day sting is the largest eradication of illegal marijuana cultivations in the history of the department. Shortly before 2 p.m., a small force of heavily armed DEA agents--accompanied overhead by two police helicopters--blocked traffic on Main Street while depositing the money at a Bank of America branch. The drug is often mixed with cocaine and methamphetamine, and many victims do not know they are ingesting fentanyl. EAU CLAIRE Wis. (WLAX/WEUX) - A Colfax man is charged with what the West Central Drug Task Force says is one of its largest drug seizures ever. Two Buena Park men are facing felony charges in connection with what prosecutors are calling the largest drug bust in Orange County in 16 years. Biggest drug bust goes down in LA sheriff department history. Originally from Miami, she holds a masters degree in journalism from USC. Four residents of Tijuana, Mexico, face federal drug trafficking charges in connection with a Southern California methamphetamine seizure thatauthorities say was "record-breaking" because of its size. Click here for mor. All rights reserved. Operation Sudden Fall was a 2008 joint operation between the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and San Diego State University (SDSU) campus police investigating drug abuse in the College Area of San Diego, California.It was the largest campus drug bust in San Diego County history and one of the largest college drug busts in U.S. history. A tip from an informant led to a record drug bust. "The origins of the sheriffs department date back to 1850 when this was the Wild West," the sheriff said. The department brought in massive bulldozers to raid the scene, completely leveling the illegal grows and there are reportedly hundreds more to tackle. Sign up for FOX 11s Fast 5 newsletter. If convicted, such charges carry substantial maximum penalties that include a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison along with a $10 million fine. More than $60M in meth, cocaine seized in one of LA County's biggest / CBS News. Marijuana Worth $1.2B Seized in Huge Drug Bust in Los Angeles - Newsweek Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much The trucking company allegedly operated a drug trafficking organization. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. It was the coming together of two organizations, a distributor and a buyer, Hazell said, declining to explain further. That is what's coming.". The largest DEA domestic seizure of methamphetamine in history is a significant blow to the cartels, but more importantly it is a gigantic victory for communities throughout Southern California and the United States who have had to deal with the torrent of methamphetamine coming into their neighborhoods, Shea said. Click here for more: http://4.nbcla.com/SV3zVBrDont miss an NBCLA video, subscribe here: https://bit.ly/2NnofFFFor more, visit NBCLA.COM here: https://bit.ly/2uB6niEOn Facebook: https://bit.ly/2uFU1pxOn Twitter: https://bit.ly/2JsBm5YAbout NBCLAThe West Coast flagship station of the NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations, serving the vast region since 1949. More than 5,000 pounds of methamphetamine found in record-breaking Investigators saw someone carry out three boxes from the home and put them in a vehicle, according to authorities. The fate of NorCal Transportation remains unknown for now, but Cabrera hopes it is shut down. He said the arrest went according to plan and no injuries were sustained by officers or alleged suspects. The Medellin cartel has been blamed for a recent wave of violence against officials in Colombia. Either they feel awfully secure, or this (loss) isnt that significant to them, said John Zienter, special agent in charge of the DEAs Los Angeles office. Fentanyl is cheap, its easy to get and it is killing our children, our coworkers, and tens of thousands of innocent Americans who dont have to die.. The Complicated Reality of Santa Barbara's Biggest Ever Drug Bust ET: This story has been updated with statements from Salinas Police Departmen press information officer Miguel Cabrera and Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine Pacioni. California Two men arrested in largest drug bust in O.C. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. Theres a glut on the coke market, said the source, who requested anonymity.