United States Drug Enforcement Administration

ALBUQUERQUE – Three of the eight defendants indicted following a joint enforcement operation last year in Carlsbad, pleaded guilty in federal court to federal drug offenses. Carlos Venegas, Jr., 24, of Carlsbad, pleaded guilty on March 4, 2024, to one count each of conspiracy to distribute 50 grams and more...

ALBUQUERQUE – A federal judge sentenced an Albuquerque man to 57 months in federal prison for maintaining a drug-involved premises in southeast Albuquerque. As the manager of the Best Choice Inn, Kamal Bhula, 44, of Albuquerque, profited from in a kickback scheme that required drug traffickers and users to pay...

OAKLAND, Calif. – Felipe de Jesus Ornelas Mora, the owner of Rincon Musical, a money transmitting business in Oakland, was sentenced today to 18 months in federal prison following his conviction for conspiracy to commit money laundering, announced First Assistant United States Attorney Patrick D. Robbins; IRS Criminal Investigation (CI)...

OAKLAND, Calif. – Parto Karimi, a former Bay Area doctor, has been sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison for distributing powerful opioids outside the scope of medical practice, announced United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), San Francisco Field Division, Special Agent...

FRESNO, Calif. —Operation SLO Ride has resulted in the dismantling of a criminal organization operating in Tulare County, charging 28 individuals with drug trafficking and illegal possession of firearms. Announcing the results of Operation SLO Ride today are U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert, DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian M...

ALBUQUERQUE – Towanda R. Thorne-James, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration's El Paso Division, and Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced today that Kassandra Lee Perales and Jared Michael Moore, two of the 12 defendants arrested during a joint enforcement...

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Towanda R. Thorne-James, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration's El Paso Division, and Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced that Danyell Kerr, Jr. was sentenced to 11 years in prison. Kerr, 32, of Albuquerque, pled guilty to...

SAN FRANCISCO – U.S. Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey convened a press conference today with Brian Clark, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration and Robert K. Tripp, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, to announce that the government of Honduras extradited three of its...

FRESNO, Calif. — Marcus Randall, 40, of Bakersfield, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for distributing fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert and Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Brian M. Clark announced. According to court documents, on Dec. 16, 2020, Randall knowingly distributed 10 “blues” (fentanyl...

FRESNO, Calif. — As a result of Operation Fraud Street Mafia, a Kern Valley State Prison (KVSP) inmate has been charged in two separate federal complaints with drug trafficking and COVID-19 fraud. Seven defendants in California and Maryland are also charged in the two schemes. Making the announcement today are...