Paulette Allen, age 64, from Sioux City, Iowa, was sentenced March 3, 2026, to more than 3 years in federal prison, after an October 9, 2025, guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, and two counts of distribution of controlled substances. Donald Most, age 61, from Sioux City...

PONCE, Puerto Rico — The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Caribbean Division, in coordination with Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) partners, announced the seizure of approximately 1,418 pounds (643.3 kilograms) of cocaine and the arrest of three Venezuelan nationals following a maritime interdiction operation conducted southeast of Puerto Rico. This interdiction...

SIOUX CITY, Iowa-- A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine and possessed with intent to distribute methamphetamine was convicted by a jury April 29, 2026, after a 2-day trial in federal court in Sioux City. Shelton Lapointe, 36, from Sioux City, Iowa, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to...

OMAHA, Neb. – The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will recognize National Fentanyl Awareness Day, Wednesday, April 29, as a show of support for the agency’s valued partners in law enforcement, public health and non-profit agencies. Fentanyl-related deaths have decreased in the past several years, yet fentanyl remains the leading...

San Juan, Puerto Rico — On April 17, 2026, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Caribbean Division, in close coordination with its international and interagency partners, supported a significant narcotics interdiction operation conducted by the Dirección Nacional de Control de Drogas (DNCD) that resulted in the seizure of 1,707 kilograms (1.7...

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Caribbean Division announced the successful extradition of Nixon Manuel Marino-Carreño from Colombia to Puerto Rico, where he will face federal drug trafficking charges in the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico. Marino-Carreño was arrested in Colombia...

A woman who distributed a mixture of fentanyl, heroin, and xylazine that caused an overdose death was sentenced April 6, to 21 years in federal prison. Bridgette Marie Washington, age 47, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a September 22, 2025, guilty plea to one count of distribution...

Todd Babb, 62, from Sioux City, Iowa, was sentenced in federal court in Sioux City on April 6, 2026, to 210 months’ imprisonment. Babb pled guilty November 19, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Evidence showed that Babb was previously convicted of at least five prior felony drug offenses, one...

Twenty-six-year-old Chicago resident Devon Frazier was sentenced to more than 15 years in federal prison after a December 20, 2024, guilty plea to one count of distribution of methamphetamine and one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. Information disclosed at the sentencing hearing showed that on Feb. 8...

OMAHA, Neb., – The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) dealt a significant blow to drug trafficking networks during Phase II of Operation Fentanyl Free America, seizing more than 57 million deadly doses of fentanyl nationwide between Jan. 12 and Feb. 10. In 30 days, agents from the five state DEA...