MIAMI – The Drug Enforcement Administration is alerting the public of dangerous counterfeit pills killing Americans. Mexican drug cartels are manufacturing mass quantities of counterfeit prescription pills containing fentanyl, a dangerous synthetic opioid that is lethal in minute doses, for distribution throughout North America. Based on a sampling of tablets...

MIAMI – Americans nationwide have once again shown their strong support for DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day by dropping off nearly 883,000 pounds of medications during the October 2019 Take Back event. DEA, along with its law enforcement partners, has now collected nearly 12.7 million pounds of expired...

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Rhiannon Rader, 34, of Fern Park, Fla., has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute oxycodone, hydrocodone and alprazolam, also known as Xanax. She faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. According to the plea agreement, as...

ORLANDO, Fla. - Sebastian Denton Zayas, age 30, of Orlando was sentenced to 10 years and 10 months in federal prison for possession with the intent to distribute cocaine. Denton pleaded guilty on July 22, 2019. According to court documents and statements made during today’s sentencing hearing, in May 2019...

OCALA, Fla. - Cesar Osiris DeLeon-Castillo, age 36, of Clermont, and Jefry Agustin Valerio-Perez, age 39, of Orlando, were sentenced to five years and four years and nine months in federal prison, respectively, for possession with the intent to distribute one kilogram of heroin. DeLeon-Castillo and Valerio-Perez pleaded guilty in...

TAMPA, Fla. – Mario Marquez Roberson, age 28, of St. Petersburg was sentenced today to 15 years and 8 months in federal prison for distribution of 4-flouroisobutyrl fentanyl, a synthetic opioid. Roberson had pleaded guilty on April 2, 2019. According to court documents, Roberson engaged in six transactions with an...

TAMPA, Fla. - A significant opioid enforcement operation across the Middle District of Florida was executed involving charges against five individuals for their alleged involvement in various conspiracies to illicitly obtain and distribute oxycodone and other controlled substances. Those charged are the following: United States v. Hong Truong Hong Truong...

PENSACOLA, Fla. - Robert Patrick Jensen, 49, and Michael T. Harris, 44, both of Gulf Breeze, Florida, appeared in federal court this week for their initial appearances after they were indicted by a federal grand jury in Pensacola on charges of acquiring controlled substances by fraud and identity theft. The...

PENSACOLA, Fla – A federal grand jury returned an indictment, charging five defendants with federal drug trafficking offenses. The defendants are: • Kadeem Ingram, 29, DeFuniak Springs, Florida; • Kenneth Ingram, 59, DeFuniak Springs, Florida; • Terrell Burdette, 63, DeFuniak Springs, Florida; • Sidney McGhee, 30, DeFuniak Springs, Florida; and...

TAMPA, Fla. – Jonathan Budowski, 48, of Brooksville, a/k/a “Hard Times” was sentenced to 20 years and 8 months in federal prison for his role in selling multiple kilograms of methamphetamine as part of a drug trafficking conspiracy, while maintaining an arsenal of firearms and ammunition to protect his drug...