Gerardo Aquino, 40, of Hollywood, Florida, pleaded guilty to accepting bribes and laundering more than $4.8 million to Colombia while employed by TD Bank. “The Criminal Division is at the vanguard of protecting the security of the U.S. financial system, including against bank insiders,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen...

WASHINGTON, DC – This October, DEA honors the legacy of DEA Special Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena with the annual Red Ribbon Campaign — the nation’s largest, and longest-running, drug prevention program, which serves as the cornerstone of agency’s prevention efforts. The Red Ribbon Campaign supports DEA’s Fentanyl Free America initiative...

TUCSON, Ariz. – On Sep. 22, 2026, Senior United States District Judge Raner C. Collins sentenced Amanda Rachelle Miller, 35, of Tucson, to 204 months (17 years) in prison, followed by 36 months of supervised release, for leading a large-scale drug trafficking organization that distributed fentanyl, methamphetamine, and other dangerous...

PHOENIX, Ariz. – Jose De Jesus Martinez, 25, of Avondale, was sentenced on July 13, by United States District Judge Sharad H. Desai to five years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Martinez previously pleaded guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl. On May 5, 2025...

PHOENIX, Ariz. – Edgar Giovany Baca-Anaya, 27, of Mesa, Arizona, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge Susan M. Brnovich to 120 months in prison, followed by 96 months of supervised release. Baca-Anaya previously pleaded guilty to Distribution of Fentanyl and admitted that the distribution resulted in the...

WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice announced charges against more than 25 individuals as part of a nationwide crackdown targeting the foreign terrorist organization (FTO), Tren de Aragua (TdA). Many of the defendants charged in this Homeland Security Task Force operation are illegal aliens from Venezuela, Colombia, and Honduras. TdA...

PHOENIX, Ariz. – An illegal alien who shot at Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) special agents attempting to arrest him during a fentanyl sale on Feb. 24, has been indicted by a federal grand jury for attempted murder. Eduardo Valenzuela Lopez, 33, of Cajeme, Sonora, Mexico, has been charged with Attempted...

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,”...

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...

WASHINGTON – 2025 was a year of historic achievements for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration highlighted by significant drug seizures, the capture of high-profile targets, and the confirmation of DEA Administrator Terrance C. Cole. Appointed by President Donald Trump on February 11, 2025 and sworn in on July 23, 2025...