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...

FRESNO, Calif. — Two Los Angeles County residents were charged Monday for their roles in a drug trafficking conspiracy and an assault on federal law enforcement officers, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced. Kevin Guzman and Julian Alcantara-Aguirre, both 23, were charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to...

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment Thursday against Roberto Hernandez, 35, a Mexican national unlawfully in the United States and residing in Sacramento, charging him with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and possession of a firearm...

SAN FRANCISCO – The U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal law enforcement partners announced today the results of a surge in federal drug enforcement measures in San Francisco over the past two months. Coordinated federal and local law enforcement efforts resulted in the seizure of over 1.04 kilograms of fentanyl—alone enough...

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...

SAN FRANCISCO– 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...

FRESNO, Calif. — Omar Vayas Duran, 45, of Delano, was sentenced today to six years and eight months in prison by U.S. District Judge Edward J. Davila for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant and Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in...

PHOENIX, Ariz. – Last week, Jose Ismael Castro Leon, 47, a Mexican national living in the United States illegally, was charged by federal criminal complaint in Phoenix, Arizona with Possession with the Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and Fentanyl. According to the complaint, investigators with the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) East...

San Francisco – September 9, 2025, the Drug Enforcement Administration announced the results of a week-long operational surge aimed at dismantling the Sinaloa Cartel, one of the world’s most violent and powerful drug cartels, responsible for flooding the United States with fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin. In February, the Trump...