HOUSTON – The final defendant in a maritime smuggling venture involving nearly 1300 kilograms of cocaine has been ordered to federal prison, announced Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Will R. Glaspy, Houston Division and U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. Jose Luis Landazuri Valdes, 25-year-old Colombian national pleaded...

SAN DIEGO – Willian Estuardo Lemus Lara, a suspected high-level cartel boss from Central America, was arraigned in federal court today on maritime cocaine trafficking charges. According to the documents filed in court, Lemus was the manager of the transportation and distribution cell responsible for facilitating multi-ton quantity cocaine loads...

SAVANNAH, Ga. – A physician with clinics in Pooler, Ga., and Braselton, Ga., was sentenced to nearly three years in federal prison for illegally prescribing drugs to non-patients. Dr. Johnny Di Blasi , 46, of Braselton, Ga., was sentenced to 33 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to...

SHERMAN, Texas - Special Agent in Charge Clyde E. Shelley, Jr. of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Division and U.S. Attorney Joseph D. Brown announced today that 13 individuals have been arrested in the Republic of Colombia and will be extradited to the United States to face...

CHICAGO – Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control identified the Argentina-based Goldpharma drug trafficking and money laundering organization as a significant foreign narcotics trafficker pursuant to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act. OFAC also designated eight Argentine nationals for their role in the Goldpharma...

TAMPA, Fla. – A federal jury has found Rudolph Randolph Meighan, 28, of Belize; Jorge Ramon Newball-May, 48, of Colombia; and Calbot Reid-Dilbert, 59, of Colombia, each guilty of one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine while...

BOSTON – An Italian national pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston in connection with trafficking cocaine on board maritime vessels. Gabriele Biondo, aka El Italiano, 43, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine...

BRONX, N.Y. – Special Agent in Charge Ray Donovan, New York Division, United States Drug Enforcement Administration; Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark; New York City Police Commissioner James P. O’Neill; and Homeland Security Investigations New York Special Agent in Charge Angel M. Melendez today announced that 19 people have...

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – DEA New England Division Special Agent in Charge Brian D. Boyle and United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut John H. Durham announced that Arrinson De La Cruz, 39, a citizen of the Dominican Republic, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall...

HOUSTON – A total of 47 people are now in custody following the return of a 43-count indictment alleging drug-trafficking and related crimes in the Houston and Galveston areas. The case will be prosecuted in the Galveston Division of the Southern District of Texas. DEA Houston Division Special Agent in...