United States Drug Enforcement Administration

FRESNO, Calif. - A seven-count indictment has been unsealed, following the arrests of Haitham Eid Habash, aka Eddie Habash, 52, of Hawthorne; Zaid Elodat, 28, of Gardena; and Bakersfield residents Ramsey Jeries Farraj, 48, and Majed Bashir Akroush, aka Mike Akroush, 48, charging them with conspiring to manufacture, distribute, and...

LOS ANGELES - Investigations led by the Drug Enforcement Administration and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations in the Los Angeles area have resulted in the arrest of over a dozen defendants allegedly involved in the large-scale manufacture and distribution of synthetic drugs that are commonly called “spice.”...

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Federico Sandoval Aguilar, 43, of Biggs, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller to 17 ½ years in prison for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine. According to court documents, Aguilar was the head of a drug trafficking organization that was responsible for distributing pound-quantities...

LAS VEGAS - Federal charges have been filed against four men and one woman alleging they are part of a large-scale heroin trafficking organization that operated in the Las Vegas area since December 2014, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel G. Bogden for the District of Nevada. Juan Almeda-Vazquez, 27, Maria Landin-Hernandez...

LOS ANGELES - The leader of an international money laundering organization, Gurkaran Singh Isshpunani, made his initial appearance in the Central District of California today. Isshpunani, the highest level defendant listed in a 22-person federal indictment filed in November 2014, is allegedly the leader of an international ‘hawala’ ring that...

LOS ANGELES - Two brothers were arrested today on federal drug trafficking and money laundering charges for allegedly utilizing a bogus pharmacy to obtain and distribute large quantities of prescription narcotics, including oxycodone, to black-market customers. Berry Kabov, 44, and his brother, Dalibor Kabov, 32, are charged in a 40-count...

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - DuWayne LeDoux, 55, of Kodiak, Alaska, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and conspiracy to structure cash deposits. According to court documents, LeDoux enlisted Sacramento resident Jennifer MacDougal to obtain and ship methamphetamine and crack cocaine to LeDoux at various addresses in Kodiak...

SAN FRANCISCO - Results from the Drug Enforcement Administration’s 10th National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day this past Saturday demonstrate the public’s continued appreciation and need for the opportunity to discard unwanted, unused and expired prescription drugs. On September 26, 2015, Northern California and Central Valley residents turned in approximately 24,832...

FRESNO, Calif. - Sarith Chim, 34, of Long Beach, was sentenced today to six years and four months in prison by U.S. District Judge Anthony W. Ishii for conspiring to distribute oxycodone and hydrocodone pills. According to court documents, in April 11, 2013, Chim and his co-defendants were indicted for...

LOS ANGELES - The 10th DEA National Prescription Drug Take-Back event garnered an overwhelming community response as citizens came out in vast numbers to dispose of unused prescription medications. Area residents turned in more than 31,168 (14.1 tons) of medication as part of the National Drug Take-Back program, a nationwide...