WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration commemorated the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks with a ceremony at DEA Headquarters honoring those killed that day and those who later died from 9/11-related illnesses. The ceremony also marked the opening of Never Forget: 25 Years After...

PLANO – Two Chinese nationals have been indicted and charged with federal drug trafficking violations as part of a Homeland Security Task Force investigation in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs. Lisa Xing, 36, and Zhanwen Song, 38, Chinese citizens, were charged in a six-count...

Washington, D.C. - The leader of a Dominican Republic-based international cocaine trafficking and money laundering organization was extradited from Colombia to the United States yesterday to face drug trafficking charges filed in two separate indictments in the Districts of Puerto Rico and New Jersey as well as money laundering charges...

Washington, D.C. — The Justice Department, together with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), today announced a $50 million settlement with Walmart Inc. (Walmart) to resolve allegations that Walmart pharmacies illegally filled thousands of invalid prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances in violation of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). “This...

BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 27-year-old man has been sentenced for possession with intent to deliver cocaine and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments. Eduardo Rodriguez Jr. pleaded guilty Nov. 5, 2024. U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera ordered Rodriguez to serve 125 months in federal prison at a hearing Aug. 26, which...

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and Argentina’s Ministry of National Security concluded the 40th annual International Drug Enforcement Conference (IDEC) last week, bringing together more than 500 senior drug enforcement officials and delegates from 110 countries to strengthen global cooperation in the fight against transnational drug...

Washington, D.C. - A federal grand jury in the District of Columbia returned an indictment today charging Ramon Alvarez Ayala, 44, and Rafael Alvarez Ayala, 42, both Mexican nationals, with conspiracy to distribute cocaine and methamphetamine for importation into the United States and possessing a firearm, including a machinegun, in...

WASHINGTON – Ecuadorian authorities, supported by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), conducted a series of coordinated enforcement operations today targeting transnational criminal organizations involved in international cocaine trafficking. The Ecuadorian National Police conducted simultaneous operations at multiple locations across Ecuador following a years-long investigation. The...

MIAMI – Five defendants pleaded guilty to conspiring to import thousands of kilograms of cocaine into South Florida aboard sport fishing vessels from the Dominican Republic. According to court records, Andy Gabriel Mercedes-Hernandez, 32; Jesus Alberto Salcedo-Perez, 32; Keisy Estibet Peguero, 38; Enmanuel Amauris Rivera-Cabrera, 32; and Mario Joel Rijo-Jimenez...

MIAMI – Ten defendants have been sentenced to federal prison for their roles in a South Florida cocaine trafficking conspiracy that involved cocaine supplied by a Mexican drug cartel and others. U.S. District Judge Darrin P. Gayles sentenced Reinaldo Fernandez, 63, to 188 months in federal prison; Javier Garcia-Mora, 40...