FRESNO, Calif. - On Friday, December 2, 2016, U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd sentenced two defendants for their involvement in a large-scale smokeable synthetic cannabinoid trafficking organization based in Millbrae and Stockton, United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert and Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge John J. Martin...

SAN DIEGO - Physician Naga Raja Thota, a pain specialist with an office in El Cajon, pleaded guilty in federal court yesterday, admitting that he fraudulently and illegally wrote prescriptions for hundreds of oxycodone and hydrocodone tablets for patients with no medical necessity, one of whom was a sex partner...

SAN DIEGO - Roberto Ponce-Rocha was extradited from Colombia on November 17, 2016, where he had been arrested for charges arising out of his leadership role in a drug trafficking conspiracy involving the transportation of large-scale quantities of cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine into the United States. As part of the...

SAN FRANCISCO - Six years after the U.S. Drug Enforcement (DEA) launched its National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, Americans continue to turn out in large numbers to rid their homes of unused medications, including controlled prescription (CPDs) such as painkillers, tranquilizers, and stimulants. On October 22, 2016, Northern California...

SAN DIEGO - The final tally is in from the 12th National Prescription Take-Back Day which took place Saturday, October 22, and DEA and its partners took back nearly 8,000 pounds of prescription drugs at 39 locations in San Diego County and four in Imperial County. Over the course of...

FRESNO, Calif. - Patrick Mara, 36, of Bakersfield, formerly a detective with the Bakersfield Police Department, was sentenced Monday to five years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for a conspiracy to traffic methamphetamine, Acting United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court...

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Baldemar Valencia-Alcazar was sentenced yesterday to 12 years in prison for his role in a conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Brian J. Stretch and Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge John J. Martin. The sentence...

SAN FRANCISCO - DEA reprises one of its most popular community programs this weekend: National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. On Saturday October 22 between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. the public can dispose of their unused, unwanted prescription medications at one of 4,700 collection sites nationwide, operated by 3,800...

SAN FRANCISCO - Thanousone Volarat, 36, of Fresno, was sentenced Monday by United States District Judge Dale A. Drozd to six years and six months in prison for conspiring to manufacture and distribute marijuana, money laundering, and escaping from the Fresno County Jail, Acting United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert...

SAN DIEGO - America is presently experiencing an epidemic of addiction, overdose and death due to abuse of prescription drugs, particularly opioid painkillers. 6.4 million Americans age 12 and over-2.4 percent of the population-abuse prescription drugs, according to the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health released last month...