CENTENNIAL, CO – The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Rocky Mountain Field Division (RMFD) surged into 2026 with Phase II of Operation Fentanyl Free America – part of a nationwide effort that dealt a significant blow to drug trafficking networks. Between January 12 and February 10, 2026, the RMFD in CO, UT...

PHOENIX, Ariz — DEA Special Agent in Charge Apolonio Ruiz Jr. joined Maricopa County Sheriff Jerry Sheridan, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes and HIDTA Director Dawn Mertz to announce the results of a major multi-agency drug operation targeting criminal organizations operating in Arizona communities. “This extraordinary investigation saved countless lives,”...

DETROIT – On Friday, the Department of Justice unsealed a civil case aiming to forfeit over $14.9 million seized from an international drug money laundering scheme, United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. announced. The lawsuit—originally filed in 2024—details the seizure of the funds and alleges a complex pattern of...

PHOENIX, Ariz. – Eduardo Valenzuela Lopez, 33, of Cajeme, Sonora, Mexico, and Jael Gonzalez Banuelos, 22, of Phoenix, Arizona, were arrested on the morning of Feb. 24, 2026, by members of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) for conspiring to distribute fentanyl. Valenzuela Lopez and Gonzalez Banuelos were charged by criminal...

TUCSON, Ariz. – Aaron Leopoldo Aguirre-Gutierrez, 50, of Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, was sentenced on Jan. 20, 2026, by U.S. District Judge Raner C. Collins to 48 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Aguirre-Gutierrez previously pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine. Between Feb. 24, 2024, to...

Tucson, Ariz. – Ramon Renteria, 33, of Avondale, Arizona, was sentenced on Jan. 15, 2026, by U.S. District Judge Angela M. Martinez to 64 months in federal prison followed by four years of supervised release, with community restitution and a fine totaling $7,000. Renteria previously pleaded guilty to Possession with...

DETROIT – The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Detroit Field Division today announced its 2025 seizure statistics, reflecting significant enforcement efforts aimed at dismantling drug trafficking organizations and protecting communities across Michigan, Ohio and northern Kentucky. Throughout 2025, the DEA Detroit Field Division seized: 147 kilograms of fentanyl 432 kilograms of...

DENVER – The DEA Rocky Mountain Field Division (RMFD) shattered records for fentanyl pill and methamphetamine seizures in 2025. Last year, approximately 8,729,000 fentanyl pills were seized in the RMFD – comprised of Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, and Montana – along with approximately 1,400 kilograms (nearly 3,100 lbs.) of methamphetamine. “These...

PHOENIX, Ariz. – Dominik Israel Lopez, 24, of Mesa, Arizona, was sentenced on November 24, 2025, by United States District Judge Krissa Lanham to 108 months of prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Lopez pleaded guilty to Distribution of Fentanyl, with death resulting. In March 2020...

ARIZONA – The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration is intensifying its fight against the deadly threat of synthetic opioids with the launch of Fentanyl Free America, a comprehensive enforcement initiative and public awareness campaign aimed at reducing both the supply and demand for fentanyl. This effort underscores DEA's unwavering commitment to...