Seattle – The leader of a violent, prolific drug trafficking ring was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 15 years in prison, announced U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. Cesar Valdez-Sanudo, 36, pleaded guilty in June 2022 to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, conspiracy to commit money laundering and...

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Megan Emily Tate, 28, of Sylva, N.C., appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge W. Carleton Metcalf this morning and pleaded guilty to distributing a substance that contained fentanyl which resulted in serious bodily injury, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Robert...

NEW BRITAIN, Conn. - Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, today announced that RAFAEL MARTINEZ, 31, of New Britain, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty in...

BOSTON – The leader of a Boston-area drug trafficking organization (DTO) has been sentenced for his role in a cocaine trafficking conspiracy. Matthew Drayton, 45, of Boston, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to 50 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In August...

BOSTON – A Lowell man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to conspiring to distribute cocaine. Miguel Colindres, 61, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV scheduled sentencing...

BOSTON – Two Worcester residents have been sentenced for their roles in a drug trafficking conspiracy involving fentanyl and heroin. Antonio Rosario Garcia, a/k/a “Animal,” 40, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to 80 months in prison and four years of supervised release. Cintia Franco, 32...

BOSTON – A repeat convicted felon has been charged by a federal grand jury in a superseding indictment on firearm and drug offenses. Christian Soares, a/k/a “Eazy,” 29, of Brockton, was indicted on two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition; one count of possessing...

SAN DIEGO - William Estuardo Lemus-Lara, aka “Humilde,” a high-level cartel boss from Guatemala, was sentenced in federal court today to 210 months in federal prison. According to public documents, Lemus-Lara was identified as the leader of a transcontinental criminal organization that moved multi-ton quantities of cocaine from South America...

Washington DC – The Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Division seized over 8.3 million potentially deadly doses of fentanyl in 2022. The division, which covers the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia confiscated nearly 160,000 fake pills containing fentanyl, and more than 250 pounds of fentanyl powder throughout the year...

RIVERSIDE, California – Inland Empire law enforcement officials today rolled out a public outreach education campaign to address the ongoing fentanyl crisis and the skyrocketing number of fentanyl poisonings. Anchored by a new public service announcement titled “ Death in Disguise” that expands on the DEA-led “One Pill Can Kill”...