PRESS RELEASE

Eleven Members Convicted In Phoenix Area Marijuana Distribution Conspiracy

… for the shipment of large quantities of marijuana from Phoenix, Arizona to multiple cities on the east coast.  Cash proceeds from the trafficking were structured and deposited into … various domestic financial institutions in amounts ranging from $4,000 to $9,000 to further the conspiracy. "DEA and …
PRESS RELEASE

Treasury Targets Sinaloa Cartel Facilitators And Money Laundering Operation

… Designation (Kingpin Act), generally prohibits U.S. persons from conducting financial or commercial transactions with … 2000. Penalties for violations of the Kingpin Act range from civil penalties of up to $1.075 million per violation … would not have been possible without critical support from the Drug Enforcement Administration.  073013phx.pdf On …
PRESS RELEASE

Alleged Member Of Violent Robbery Crew Charged With Firearm-Related Murder

… Drug Enforcement Task Force comprising agents and officers from the DEA, New York City Police Department, and the New … dollars in cash and more than a kilogram of cocaine from De Orbe. Having predetermined that De Orbe would be … our commitment to ridding the streets of our communities from the scourge of drug trafficking and its related …
PRESS RELEASE

Prescription Drugs - Now The Most Commonly Abused Drugs Among Young Teens

… Educational (BOCES) broadcasting on Friday, Sept. 28 from 1 - 2 PM. The primary focus of the webinar is to … recovered 1.5 million pounds of unused prescription drugs from the public.   DEA’s Acting Special Agent in Charge … efforts that we will be able to keep the next young person from taking the tragic steps of abusing a prescription drug. …
PRESS RELEASE

Queens Doctor Indicted For Illegal Distribution Of Oxycodone

… diverted prescription medication.”       “Overdose deaths from prescription painkillers are now more frequent than those from heroin and cocaine combined - this is an epidemic,” … action against a pharmacy, removed prescription authority from numerous rogue doctors, and expanded …
PRESS RELEASE

Scarsdale Woman Indicted For Manufacturing Marijuana

… marijuana, and state-of-the-art marijuana growing equipment from a marijuana grow house in Maspeth, Queens. The … marijuana plants, and large quantities of dried marijuana from the warehouse. “Sanderlin could have focused her … Strike Force, which includes agents and officers from the DEA, New York City Police Department, HSI, New York …
PRESS RELEASE

New York Methodist Hospital Agrees To Implement Compliance Program To Settle Civil Claims Under The Controlled Substances Act

… offices located in New York City, Albany, Buffalo, Long Island, Plattsburgh, Rochester, Syracuse and Westchester County Additional Division Info Community … involving Adderall and similar stimulants nearly tripled from 2005 to 2010. Abuse of Adderall can lead to heart …
PRESS RELEASE

Montreal-based Drug Trafficking Ring Operating Throughout The United States, Canada, Mexico, Guatemala, Colombia And Peru Dismantled

… the cocaine conspiracy, Haviaropoulos purchased cocaine from, among other sources, Carlos Alberto Ocampo Garcia in … as fentanyl and marijuana.  The organization collected cash from selling marijuana in the United States and cocaine in … the organization’s circuitous route sending money from Quebec to South America Countries and China; and in …
PRESS RELEASE

Doctor Sentenced For Running Pill Mill And Contributing To A Death

… resulting in death and more than 300 counts stemming from his pill mill operation.  A federal jury convicted … medical purpose and Nathaniel Backes’ death resulted from the use of that substance. … Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with assistance from the Philadelphia Police Department, the North Coventry …
PRESS RELEASE

Owner Of McLean MedSpa Sentenced For Illegally Importing Non-FDA-Approved Drugs And Using On Patients

… chemotherapy drugs and injectable cosmetics from around the world.  Most drugs were shipped first to the … take what they wanted for Aphrodite, and call individuals from Gallant Pharma to retrieve the remainder.  Many of the … and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, with assistance from the Arlington County Police Department.  Assistant U.S. …
PRESS RELEASE

St. Mary’s County Drug Dealer Sentenced To 15 Years In Prison

… to Berry’s plea agreement and other court documents, from February 2012 to April 2013, Berry conspired with Damon … the delivery of cocaine to Estep, Berry or others from St. Mary’s County. Nearly every week, Berry, Estep and … to his previous felony convictions, Berry was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.  Berry admits that …
PRESS RELEASE

Large Scale Los Angeles PCP “Cook” Sentenced To Life In Prison

… traveled to Los Angeles and bought two gallons of PCP from Bullette for $20,000.  Bullette helped ship the PCP to … or, later, by shipping cash in bulk to California.  From September 2011 to September 2012, when their bank …
PRESS RELEASE

Prince Frederick Physician Indicted For Illegally Distributing Drugs And $3 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme Related To His Pain Management Clinics

… medical purpose. The indictment further alleges that from at least 2007 through July 2011, Mathews filed … double billed for his services, collecting a cash payment from a patient for an office visit, then later improperly … at least $3,190,899, which is believed to be the proceeds from the health care fraud scheme. Mathews faces a maximum …
PRESS RELEASE

Physician/Owner And Office Manager Of McLean Skin Care Clinic Convicted At Trial

… to order non-FDA-approved chemotherapy and cosmetic drugs from around the world, and allowed those drugs to be … take what they wanted for Aphrodite, and call individuals from Gallant Pharma to retrieve the remainder.  Many of the … and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, with assistance from the Arlington County Police Department.  Assistant U.S. …
PRESS RELEASE

Violent Career Criminal Sentenced To 234 Months’ Imprisonment

… approached the café owner and offered him protection from future robberies for a fee. When the owner refused, … a .40 caliber Smith and Wesson semiautomatic pistol from the driver’s seat floor and two other semiautomatic pistols from the co-conspirators. Delaremore’s pistol contained one …
PRESS RELEASE

Enforcement Notices Sent To Marijuana Storefronts In Western Washington Operating Within School Zones

… Operation Engage Seattle Eliminating the local drug threat and engaging community leaders to reduce drug misuse. Visit … property where the storefront operates, any money received from the enterprise, and potential criminal prosecution. The … of marijuana within 30 days.  The following is a statement from Matthew G. Barnes, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug …
PRESS RELEASE

Eleven Indicted For Conspiring To Distribute Controlled Substances In Alaska

… two additional drug conspiracy indictments stemming from the same investigation that resulted in charges against … was assisted by Brown and Charles, shipped drugs to Alaska from Washington State. Among the drugs alleged to have been … in Anchorage on July 18 on a separate indictment stemming from the same investigation, charging him, along with Aaron …
PRESS RELEASE

Costco Wholesale To Pay $11.75 Million To Settle Allegations Of Lax Pharmacy Controls

… Domestic Northern California in Bakersfield, Fresno, Oakland, Sacramento, San Jose, Santa Rosa, and Stockton areas Additional Division Info Community … regulations. The violations include: filling prescriptions from practitioners who did not have a valid DEA number; …
PRESS RELEASE

Multi-Agency Gang Case Results In Several Arrests For Drug And Firearm Offenses

… charges 18 defendants with criminal activity ranging from firearms trafficking, drug trafficking, and … to leverage those tools to help protect our communities from the significant public safety threat posed by criminal … the Multi-Agency Gang Enforcement (MAGEC) with assistance from the California Department of Corrections and …
PRESS RELEASE

Thirteen Defendants Indicted In State-Wide Drug Trafficking Conspiracy

… co-defendants regularly received large shipments of drugs from couriers transporting the contraband from San Diego area to the Central Valley of California.  … It’s critical to determine where the money comes from and where it goes.  Finding and connecting those ‘dots’ …
PRESS RELEASE

Three Members Of International Organization Of Money Launderers For The Largest Drug Cartels Arrested

… Task Force, which is comprised of agents and officers from the DEA, New York City Police Department and the New … Special Agent in Charge Hunt. “Attacking the proceeds from the sale of illegal drugs is a proven technique for … in the indictment, the investigation determined that from approximately January 1, 2004 to the present, members …
PRESS RELEASE

Riverhead Physician Assistant Arrested For Conspiracy To Illegally Prescribe Oxycodone

… on the East End in exchange for half the cash profits from the resulting drug sales. DEA and our law enforcement … illegal sales. Troyan was receiving half of the profit from the sale of the oxycodone pills. If convicted, the … and a pharmacy chain, removed prescription authority from numerous rogue doctors, and expanded …
PRESS RELEASE

Latin King Gang Member Indicted For Murder Of CW Post Basketball Star Tafare Berryman

… murdering Tafare Berryman, who was tragically taken away from his family and friends 12 years ago. Drug-related … students, which later spilled out into a parking lot across from the club. At approximately 5:00 a.m. on April 3, 2005, … friend then entered a car and drove away. Several blocks from the club, Berryman’s friend, who was driving, pulled …
PRESS RELEASE

Long Island Man Charged With Distributing Heroin That Caused The Death Of A 20-Year-Old College Student

… District of New York charging Richard Jacobellis, 23, from Ridge, N.Y., with distributing heroin that caused the … court filings, Jacobellis distributed heroin on Long Island from 2012 to the present. Jacobellis’s heroin has caused the … indictment. As charged, on May 17, 2016, Jacobellis drove from his home in Ridge to Kings Park and sold $100 of heroin …
PRESS RELEASE

Nine Million Dollars’ Worth Of Cocaine Seized In Buffalo, N.Y.

… off the streets.” “Though we may be over 2,000 miles away from the Mexican Border, this case illustrates that the … to Mexico. Cocaine was smuggled into the United States from Mexico and eventually brought to Arizona and then … preceded the transfer of the 18 kilograms of “sham” cocaine from Nowak to Rodriguez.  Rodriguez was arrested in …
PRESS RELEASE

Eight Madera And Merced County Residents Indicted In Gang-Related Drug Trafficking Conspiracies

… to be in possession of methamphetamine allegedly purchased from Herrera. As a result of the federal arrests and search … eight defendants are already serving prison terms ranging from 18 to 40 years. This is a sustained, long-term … counterparts to remove gang members and drug traffickers from the community,” stated DEA Special Agent in Charge …
PRESS RELEASE

Eastern District Of California Actions In “Project Delirium”

… Abreo and Nichols were distributing methamphetamine from Central California to Hawaii and Oklahoma. Assistant … Operations Division, composed of agents and analysts from the DEA, FBI, ICE, Internal Revenue Service, U.S. … Protection, U.S. Marshals Service, as well as attorneys from the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug …
GENERAL INFORMATION

DEA Leadership

November 28, 2025
… Administrator Cole brings deep operational experience and a lifelong commitment to public safety. Mr. Cole began … Colombia, and Afghanistan. At the time of his retirement from federal service in 2020, he was serving as DEA's Acting …
November 28, 2025
PRESS RELEASE

Drug Distributor Caught with Massive Amounts of Fentanyl and Meth as well as Firearms, Body Armor, and Silencer Sentenced to 13 Years in Prison

… Ellis was a prolific drug redistributor. He obtained drugs from one branch of the drug conspiracy and sold the drugs to … has two prior felony drug convictions and is prohibited from possessing firearms. In asking for a 15-year sentence … three kilos of heroin, and more than $330,000 in cash from eighteen locations in Washington and Arizona. Earlier …
LANDING PAGE

Diversion Control Division

October 30, 2025
… of legitimately made controlled substances being diverted from their lawful purpose into illicit drug traffic. The … of DEA's Diversion Control Division is to prevent, detect, and investigate the diversion of controlled pharmaceuticals and listed chemicals from legitimate sources while ensuring an adequate and …
October 30, 2025