PRESS RELEASE

DEA Recognizes 2025 National Fentanyl Awareness Day with Debut of Faces of Fentanyl Online Exhibit

April 25, 2025
… Fentanyl Awareness Day with extended DEA Museum hours from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. this coming Tuesday. The Faces of … work against these dangerous criminal organizations is far from over. The families affected by fentanyl deserve … has ever faced.   In 2023, more than 105,000 Americans died from drug poisonings, nearly 70% of those deaths were …
April 25, 2025
PRESS RELEASE

Mexican National Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Role in Conspiracy to Distribute Kilograms of Fentanyl and Cocaine and Launder Proceeds

April 06, 2025
… twice BOSTON – A Mexican national previously deported twice from the United States has been sentenced in federal court … of fentanyl and other narcotics via tractor trailer from the area of Ontario, Calif., to Massachusetts. Law … undercover officer delivered $202,090 drug money, received from coconspirators in Massachusetts, to Lopez Medina in …
April 06, 2025
PRESS RELEASE

50,000 Fake Pills Seized in San Diego

June 28, 2022
… operation in San Diego on June 28, 2022.  Investigators from the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Narcotic Task … Department (SDPD) worked together to prevent the fake pills from being distributed.  Berenice Sanchez-Tapia, age 47, was … law enforcement agencies determined to prevent fake pills from making it to the streets of San Diego,” said DEA …
June 28, 2022
PRESS RELEASE

Chula Vista Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Distributing Fentanyl-Laced Pills that Caused Overdose Death of 20-Year-Old

March 29, 2022
… was caused by the fentanyl-laced pills that J.P. purchased from Mefford. Finally, Mefford admitted that he transported multi-pound level quantities of methamphetamine from San Diego to Kansas. Once in Kansas, Mefford … the methamphetamine to various individuals. Detectives from the Chula Vista Police Department’s Narcotics …
March 29, 2022
PRESS RELEASE

San Diego Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Fentanyl Distribution Resulting in Death

March 07, 2022
… a 25-year-old husband and father of two young children from El Cajon. Davis was convicted by a federal jury on … 3:39 a.m. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is releasing excerpts from a security video which was presented as evidence at … to take it away and make it better. The biggest tragedy from all of this is that 2 innocent children have to grow up …
March 07, 2022
PRESS RELEASE

DEA Announces 19th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day

October 23, 2020
… Kelly McKay Recruiter Name Kieran Garcia (858) 616-4040 sandiegospecialagentrecruiter@dea.gov Talk to a Recruiter … that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. There will be 16 collection …
October 23, 2020
PRESS RELEASE

Attorney General William P. Barr Joins DEA Acting Administrator Timothy J. Shea to Announce Results of Operation Crystal Shield

September 10, 2020
… devotion of DEA and our partners to protect our communities from the scourge of drug trafficking and violent crime under … COVID, DEA has been working hard to stop ruthless cartels from bringing methamphetamine into our communities,” said …
September 10, 2020
PRESS RELEASE

DEA announces launch of Operation Crystal Shield

February 20, 2020
… trafficked into and within the United States. From FY 2017 to FY 2019, DEA domestic seizures of methamphetamine increased 127 percent from 49,507 pounds to 112,146 pounds. During the same time …
February 20, 2020
PRESS RELEASE

Online drug dealer pleads guilty in fentanyl overdose death

April 24, 2019
… in 2017 and began purchasing various prescription pills from him.   According to his plea agreement, on the evening … oxycodone pills, for $240. The “blues” purchased from Lucas were counterfeit and contained deadly … pills using deadly fentanyl.  More than 399,000 people died from opioid overdoses, including prescription and illicit …
April 24, 2019
PRESS RELEASE

Lead Defendant in Richmond County Meth-Trafficking Conspiracy Sentenced to More Than 20 Years in Federal Prison

January 12, 2023
… Talk to a Recruiter /events Find Us 2920 Brandywine Road Atlanta , GA 30341 United States Atlanta … sell drugs, whether they’re selling them on the streets or from inside a prison,” said the Special Agent in Charge of … orchestrated a large-scale meth distribution operation from behind bars while serving a 10-year state sentence for …
January 12, 2023
PRESS RELEASE

Five Arrested for Drug Trafficking in Chittenden County

January 27, 2023
… conducted 17 controlled purchases of illegal drugs from members of the organization.  Affidavits filed in this … allege that members of the organization bring narcotics from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to distribute in Chittenden … 1,300 grams of suspected cocaine base that had been thrown from the window of the apartment.  Stokes-Johnson, Weaver, …
January 27, 2023
PRESS RELEASE

Leader of Lawrence Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced to Over 15 Years in Prison

January 27, 2023
… families and communities. In 2021, 80,816 people died from opioid-related overdoses in the United States — the … continue to do everything we can to protect our communities from this deadly crisis.” “DEA is committed to investigating …
January 27, 2023
PRESS RELEASE

Waterbury Drug Trafficker Sentenced to Ten Years in Federal Prison

November 07, 2022
… was receiving large quantities of fentanyl and heroin from a source in New York and then selling the narcotics to … involved the shipments of kilogram-quantities of cocaine from Puerto Rico to Connecticut, the conversion of cocaine … arrested at the anticipated meeting place.  Reynoso fled from the meeting scene in his vehicle, which was found …
November 07, 2022
PRESS RELEASE

Boston Area Fentanyl And Cocaine Supplier Sentenced

April 27, 2022
… base and marijuana throughout Southeastern Massachusetts from a base of operations in Brockton. The investigation … for Goncalves and others. Intercepted communications from Perez Felix’s cellphone determined that he distributed … large quantities of heroin, fentanyl and cocaine from a base of operations in Boston throughout the greater …
April 27, 2022
PRESS RELEASE

Patchogue Man Pleads Guilty to Criminal Possession of a Weapon and Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance for Selling Fentanyl

January 19, 2024
… Man Pleads Guilty to Criminal Possession of a Weapon and Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance for Selling … not even a pending upstate sentence deterred this defendant from continuing with business as usual.” “To state it … undercover officers purchased cocaine and fentanyl from Shewprashad on two separate dates between March and …
January 19, 2024
PRESS RELEASE

Troy Woman Pleads Guilty to Nationwide Marijuana and THC Trafficking Conspiracy

July 25, 2023
… and shipped thousands of kilograms of marijuana and THC from Fresno to locations throughout the United States, … packages of marijuana were shipped through UPS and FedEx from a shipping store in Fresno, Fast Pack & Ship, by Dwight … food containers and suitcases, and was typically picked up from Coles by David Singletary, aka “DB.”    Coles, Turner, …
July 25, 2023
PRESS RELEASE

Prison Sentence Announced for Queens Man on Narcotics and Gun Possession Charges

October 26, 2022
… Task Force (NYDETF), Group T-31, comprised of agents from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) New … New York State Police investigators. The investigation ran from approximately May of 2020 to March of 2021. In total, … Members of NYDETF Group T-31 obtained security footage from the storage facility. A review of footage from December …
October 26, 2022
PRESS RELEASE

United States seeks forfeiture of real estate in Mexico purchased by cartel leader Rafael Caro Quintero with proceeds of his drug trafficking organization

October 23, 2019
… offices located in New York City, Albany, Buffalo, Long Island, Plattsburgh, Rochester, Syracuse and Westchester County Additional Division Info Community … properties Caro Quintero purchased with blood money reaped from the drug trafficking, addiction and violence he sowed …
October 23, 2019
PRESS RELEASE

‘Mayor of Mexico’ is sentenced to 12 years in prison for his role in operating a multi-million dollar Continuing Criminal Enterprise

August 14, 2019
… offices located in New York City, Albany, Buffalo, Long Island, Plattsburgh, Rochester, Syracuse and Westchester County … of approximately $420,000 in U.S. currency. The cash seized from the tractor­-trailer was money collected from the sale of heroin and cocaine in the Buffalo area that …
August 14, 2019
PRESS RELEASE

Meriden Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Cocaine Trafficking Offenses

March 02, 2025
… possession charges.  On that date investigators seized from Acevedo approximately 390 grams of cocaine and $281,000 … investigators made two controlled purchases of cocaine from Acevedo. Acevedo was arrested on a federal criminal … with several visitors at his home and receiving a paper bag from one visitor who was a known drug associate.  Acevedo …
March 02, 2025
PRESS RELEASE

DEA Announces Three New Telemedicine Rules that Continue to Open Access to Telehealth Treatment while Protecting Patients

January 16, 2025
… has never been seen in-person by the medical provider and the patient is being prescribed controlled medication. … visits without ever having an in-person medical evaluation from a medical provider. The special registration is … of Veterans Affairs (VA).  It exempts VA practitioners from Special Registrations requirements. Once a patient has …
January 16, 2025
PRESS RELEASE

Springfield Man Sentenced to 7 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking Fentanyl and Cocaine While on Supervised Release

December 08, 2024
… to 7 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking Fentanyl and Cocaine While on Supervised Release December 08, 2024 … and for violating the conditions of his supervised release from a prior federal conviction. According to court … supervised release for trafficking heroin.  He was released from federal prison in April 2021. In July 2022, the Drug …
December 08, 2024
PRESS RELEASE

Meriden Man Pleads Guilty to Cocaine Trafficking Offenses

September 16, 2024
… possession charges.  On that date investigators seized from Acevedo approximately 390 grams of cocaine and $281,000 … investigators made two controlled purchases of cocaine from Acevedo. Acevedo was arrested on a federal criminal … with several visitors at his home and receiving a paper bag from one visitor who was a known drug associate.  Acevedo …
September 16, 2024
PRESS RELEASE

Charlottesville Methamphetamine Traffickers Plead Guilty

May 26, 2022
… area. Santo Hidalgo Siguenza, a.k.a. “Chila,” 40, from El Salvador, Francisco Rocha Uribe, 31, from  Mexico, Rafael Vasquez Navarette, 26, from El Salvador, and Luis Guillermo Melendez-Henrique, 31, …
May 26, 2022
PRESS RELEASE

Major Baltimore Drug Dealer Pleads Guilty, Sentenced

March 09, 2022
… Distribute Heroin Less Than Three Weeks After His Release from State Prison Baltimore, Md., – U.S. District Judge … Baltimore District Office. According to his guilty plea, from September 2020 to November 2020, Skordalos participated … joined the DTO less than three weeks after his release from state prison. In September 2020, federal agents …
March 09, 2022
PRESS RELEASE

Baltimore County Felon Sentenced to More Than Five Years in Federal Prison for Obtaining Two Kilograms of Cocaine to Distribute and for Illegal Possession of a Firearm

November 17, 2021
… of Cocaine to Distribute in Maryland; Was Prohibited from Possessing a Firearm Greenbelt, Md., – U.S. District … to his guilty plea, on October 3, 2019, Alexander traveled from his Towson, Maryland residence to New York to acquire … conducted a traffic stop on Alexander as he was returning from New York to Maryland. Law enforcement recovered …
November 17, 2021
PRESS RELEASE

Owner of Fauquier County gas station pleads guilty to distributing spice

January 10, 2020
… synthetic cannabinoids—commonly known as “spice” or “K2”—from the gas station he owned and operated with his business … A. Latif, 70, and his business partner have sold spice from their gas station, located in Warrenton, since 2012. … vigilance for the continued protection of our community from those that would exploit the weaknesses associated with …
January 10, 2020
PRESS RELEASE

Member of Maryland MS-13 extortion operation in DC suburbs sentenced to 51 months in federal prison

September 09, 2019
… Member of Maryland MS-13 extortion operation in DC suburbs sentenced to 51 … Washington, DC metropolitan area, MS-13 generated income from various sources, including the extortion of money from …
September 09, 2019
PRESS RELEASE

California Man Sentenced to 24 Years for Trafficking 33+ Kilograms of Methamphetamine and 3+ Kilograms of Fentanyl

November 30, 2022
… for distributing multiple kilograms of methamphetamine from California into North Carolina. Court records show that … to purchase multiple kilograms of methamphetamine from Laveaga’s DTO. During the investigation, Laveaga’s … transported approximately 20 kilograms of methamphetamine from California to the Charlotte area. On other occasions, …
November 30, 2022
PRESS RELEASE

Lead Defendant Sentenced in Burke County Drug Trafficking Investigation

August 15, 2022
… collaborative efforts will continue to identify and remove from our communities those who would drive violent crime … as the DEA developed information about cocaine trafficking from Mexico, through California to Atlanta, and then … primarily to distributors in Burke County. Investigators from the Burke County Sheriff’s Office then worked with the …
August 15, 2022