WASHINGTON – The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration will recognize National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day on Thursday, August 21, joining the hundreds of thousands of voices raising awareness to confront the deadliest drug crisis in U.S. history. The DEA Museum will extend its operating hours this coming Thursday from 6...

WASHINGTON – The Drug Enforcement Administration announces a major new initiative to strengthen collaboration between the United States and Mexico in the fight against cartels, whose trafficking networks are responsible for flooding American communities with deadly synthetic drugs. At the core of this effort is Project Portero, DEA’s flagship operation...

ALBUQUERQUE – A federal jury convicted an Albuquerque man for his role in a multi-state fentanyl trafficking organization, following an operation that resulted in the largest single fentanyl pill seizure in DEA history. The verdict came after a six-day trial and approximately eight hours of deliberation. The conviction of Alex...

WASHINGTON – The men and women of DEA will join local law enforcement agencies and community groups across the country on Tuesday, August 5, 2025 to participate in National Night Out events. National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes neighborhood camaraderie by strengthening partnerships between police and...

WASHINGTON – Just days into his new role, DEA Administrator Terrance Cole met with a law enforcement delegation from Italy, signifying the agency’s renewed focus on working with foreign law enforcement to meet the evolving threats of the global drug crisis. On July 24, DEA Administrator Cole, DEA Deputy Chief...

WASHINGTON – Terrance C. “Terry” Cole was sworn in as DEA Administrator on July 23, 2025, following his confirmation by the U.S. Senate. Mr. Cole is a distinguished public servant who has spent more than 31 years in law enforcement, 22 of which were at DEA fighting the drug cartels...

BROOKLYN, NY – José Adolfo Macías Villamar, aka "Fito,” a citizen of Ecuador, was arraigned in federal court in the Eastern District of New York on Monday for crimes allegedly committed as the leader of the Los Choneros Transnational Criminal Organization. Based in Ecuador, Los Choneros is believed to be...

TUCSON, Ariz. – Jose Antonio Ornelas, Jr., 33, of Tucson, was sentenced on July 10, by United States District Court Judge Rosemary Márquez to 98 months in prison, followed by four years of supervised release. Ornelas, Jr. previously pleaded guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. On October 3...

TUCSON, Ariz — Attorney General Kris Mayes announced today that a Pima County Superior Court has reached a guilty verdict on all counts in the trial of 57-year-old Muhammad Saeed, M.D., a former Tucson Psychiatrist, who practiced in Arizona from 2004-2020. Dr. Saeed was convicted on June 19, 2025, of...

TUCSON, Ariz. – Jose Fernando McCormick, 52, of Tucson, was sentenced on June 27, 2025, by United States District Court Judge Scott H. Rash to 120 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. McCormick previously pleaded guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. On October 3...