PRESS RELEASE

DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day Brings in nearly 745,000 Pounds of Unneeded Medications

… removed close to 745,000 pounds of unneeded prescriptions from medicine cabinets across the country as part of DEA’s … has removed more than 15.2 million pounds of medication from circulation since its inception. On Oct. 23, with close … number of organizations participating increased to 262, up from the April Take Back Day of 198 organizations. “On DEA’s …
PRESS RELEASE

Covetrus Agrees To Pay $1,125,000 for Failing to Adequately Address Suspicious Opioid Orders and for Inadequate Recordkeeping Practices

… worldwide. Under the settlement, Covetrus NA admitted that, from March 29, 2016 through June 18, 2019, its internal … order monitoring system (SOM) flagged 35 opioid orders from a veterinary office in West Barnstable, Mass. …
PRESS RELEASE

Former Mexican Lawyer Who Became Major Meth Supplier to Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced to More Than Seven Years in Prison

… Stalled During the Pandemic Tacoma – A former attorney from Mexico was sentenced June 21, 2024, to 90 months in … U.S. District Judge David G. Estudillo rejected arguments from the defense that Castellanos-Tapia played a minor role … 2023. Over the course of the investigation, agents seized from members of the drug trafficking organization an …
PRESS RELEASE

Leader of International Drug Trafficking Organization Operating in Oregon Sentenced to Federal Prison

… of DEA, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our many partners from law enforcement agencies across Oregon led to the … trafficking organization, whose sole purpose is to profit from addiction and suffering. This far-reaching … and Medford Branch Offices. According to court documents, from at least March 2018 through August 2020, while …
PRESS RELEASE

East Bay Doctor Sentenced to Prison for Distributing Opioids Outside the Scope of Medical Practice

… sentencing memorandum, Karimi practiced medicine from an accessory dwelling unit on the grounds of her suburban home from roughly 2011 to 2022. Her practice operated under the … investigating Karimi after receiving concerning information from the family of one of Karimi’s former patients, who had …
PRESS RELEASE

Five Individuals Sentenced to Prison for Meth Trafficking and Money Laundering

… He obtained large quantities of methamphetamine from Mexico and paid couriers, including Darius Robinson, to … and distributed several hundred pounds of methamphetamine from 2021 through 2022. Court documents established that … frequently received large quantities of methamphetamine from Mario Rodriguez Diaz. Specifically, they received …
PRESS RELEASE

Savannah Woman Pleads Guilty to Laundering ‘Pill Mill’ Money

… our communities.” "Whipple-Duncan profited significantly from this clinic. Her greedy actions directly contributed to … of opioids." “Jamesetta Whipple-Duncan directly profited from the pain Dr. Frank Bynes caused to the community,” said … military and their families, at times seeking pain relief from an injury, have been substantially impacted from the …
PRESS RELEASE

Leader of Cocaine Trafficking Organization Sentenced to Two Decades in Federal Prison

… “The cocaine distributor in this case has been removed from the streets and will now serve well-deserved time in … more than 35 kilograms of cocaine and other drugs from Texas and California destined for the Savannah area, from as early as February 2014 until his capture in March …
PRESS RELEASE

Arizona Man Sentenced for Role in International Drug Trafficking Ring Targeting Alaska

… Oregon 1-888-219-4261 Smuggled Meth, Heroin and Cocaine from Mexico ANCHORAGE, Alaska – An Arizona man was sentenced … smuggled over a dozen kilos of meth, heroin and cocaine from Mexico into Alaska for six years. As part of his role … has entered a plea of guilty and it is awaiting acceptance from the Court. Serena Joseph, 41, pleaded guilty to drug …
PRESS RELEASE

Year in Review: DEA Innovates to Fight Fentanyl

… our communities, but we’re essentially drinking water from a firehose,” said Special Agent in Charge J. Todd … a potentially deadly dose of fentanyl. This is an increase from 4 out of 10 pills in 2021 and 6 out of 10 pills in … lives lost.  Nearly 70% of these drug poisonings are from fentanyl.    DEA has responded to this unprecedented …
PRESS RELEASE

Former Employee of San Francisco Money Services Business Charged with Conspiring to Launder Drug Proceeds

… numbers depicted in the photograph she had earlier received from her unnamed co-conspirator. The complaint further alleges that records received from the money services business confirm Barrientos … example, the complaint alleges that surveillance footage from the money services business from April 25, 2023, shows …
PRESS RELEASE

Mexican National Sentenced to 136 Months for Drug Trafficking in the Tri Cities

… more of pure methamphetamine. De La Mora Cardenas, who is from Colima, Mexico, also will serve 5 years of federal supervision after he is released from custody.  According to information disclosed during … arrangements for a ten-pound delivery of methamphetamine from Muniz-De La Mora, who brought a four-year-old child to …
PRESS RELEASE

Aryan Brotherhood Associate Pleads Guilty to a Racketeering Conspiracy

… Includes Murders, Assaults, and Drug Trafficking from Within California Prisons SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Justin … heroin and methamphetamine trafficking operation from their shared prison cell. They used smuggled cellphones to direct their drug trafficking activity from their prison cell to the streets of Sacramento and …
PRESS RELEASE

Berkeley Brothers Plead Guilty to Selling Fentanyl in San Francisco's Tenderloin

… time and again with his older brother David Ordonez, 20, from an apartment they shared in Berkeley to the Tenderloin … March 9, 2022, he and his brother David Ordonez travelled from their Berkeley apartment to the Tenderloin to sell … again travelled with his brother David Ordonez from their Berkeley apartment to the Tenderloin. …
PRESS RELEASE

Springfield man sentenced to 78 months in prison for trafficking heroin

… were receiving bulk quantities of heroin and fentanyl from out-of-state suppliers.  They then stored, processed … 2017, investigators made a controlled purchase of heroin from Velez in Springfield.  The investigation also revealed … Velez was on Massachusetts state probation and prohibited from traveling outside of Massachusetts, he regularly …
PRESS RELEASE

DEA And Partners Release 2016 Pennsylvania Drug Overdose Death Report

… 2016 report at a news conference today.  Key findings from the report indicate that in 2016, 4,642 drug-related … coroners and medical examiners, an increase of 37 percent from 2015. In 2016, approximately 13 people died of a … in (52 percent of deaths), a significant increase from 2015 when fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances were …
PRESS RELEASE

DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day Brings in nearly 745,000 Pounds of Unneeded Medications

… has removed more than 15.2 million pounds of medication from circulation since its inception. On October 23, with … who misused a prescription medication obtained the medicine from a family member or friend. The Centers for Disease … pill misuse. Criminal drug networks are shipping chemicals from China to Mexico where they are converted to dangerous …
PRESS RELEASE

DEA Holds National Prescription Drug Take Back Day to Turn the Tide Against the U.S. Opioid Epidemic

… Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, October 23 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. This event offers free and anonymous … who misused a prescription medication obtained the medicine from a family member or friend. The Centers for Disease … Back Day has removed more than 7,000 tons of medication from circulation since its inception. These efforts are …
PRESS RELEASE

DEA Holds National Prescription Drug Take Back Day to Turn the Tide Against the U.S. Opioid Epidemic

… Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, October 23 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. This event offers free and anonymous … who misused a prescription medication obtained the medicine from a family member or friend. The Centers for Disease … Back Day has removed more than 7,000 tons of medication from circulation since its inception. “The United States is …
PRESS RELEASE

Southeastern Connecticut Drug Trafficker, Co-Conspirator Found Guilty

… the guilty verdicts this afternoon. This matter stems from an investigation led by the Drug Enforcement … the trial, Whyte obtained heroin, fentanyl and cocaine from various sources in Connecticut, New York and elsewhere, … distributed and used cocaine, accepted narcotics proceeds from Whyte and provided Whyte with weekly paychecks from her …
PRESS RELEASE

DEA announces launch of Operation Crystal Shield

… 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 …
PRESS RELEASE

Leader of Transnational Money-Laundering Network Pleads Guilty

… money-laundering networks enable drug cartels to profit from their deadly trade, and yesterday’s guilty plea and … appreciate the essential and innumerable contributions from our partner agencies, all of whom worked closely … them accountable for their crimes removes bad actors from the activities of drug trafficking, helping to weaken …
PRESS RELEASE

Federal law enforcement arrest three citizens of Mexico for methamphetamine/heroin distribution operation in San Antonio and South Texas

… organization leader coordinated narcotics deliveries from within an Oklahoma federal prison using contraband cell … and distribution of over 80 kilograms of methamphetamine from Mexico to San Antonio and other areas in South Texas from June 2018 to February 2020. According to the …
PRESS RELEASE

Colombian Veterinarian Charged In Drug Conspiracy Extradited To New York

… arrested in Spain on a provisional arrest warrant issued from the Eastern District of New York and subsequently extradited from Spain to the United States on April 30, 2018. Judge Go … States using various methods to conceal the narcotics from detection by law enforcement. In addition to human …
PRESS RELEASE

Leader Of Guadalajara And Sinaloa Cartels Charged With Conspiring To Murder A DEA Agent As Part Of A Continuing Criminal Enterprise

… 2017, and relates to Caro Quintero’s criminal activities from January 1980 to January 2017. Richard P. Donoghue, … who bravely worked to stop traffickers like the defendant from flooding our country with dangerous narcotics,” stated … Attorney Donoghue. “The passage of time will not stop us from holding Caro Quintero accountable for the murder of one …
PRESS RELEASE

Columbus, Ohio Man Sentenced For Role In Large Marijuana Distribution Ring

… trafficking organization.  The investigation revealed that from December 2009, through September 2013, Whitely was … 2,400 kilograms of marijuana that was transported from suppliers in Houston, Texas, to various fraudulent … generated a significant amount of illegal proceeds from the sale of marijuana. On September 11, 2013, DEA, IRS …
PRESS RELEASE

McKesson Settlement: Pays $150 Million, Largest Fine In DEA History

… 362-0443 Required to suspend sales of controlled substances from distribution centers in Ohio, Michigan DETROIT - … on the street, DEA is committed to fighting this epidemic from all angles.” “In light of the growing epidemic of …
PRESS RELEASE

Doctor Who Owned McAllen Medical Clinic In Dallas Pleads Guilty In Pill Mill Case

… and pleaded guilty to two conspiracy offenses stemming from his involvement in a “pill mill” operation, announced … in March 2017.    According to documents filed in the case, from approximately January 2013 through July 2014, Andrews … drug distribution conspiracy.  That indictment alleged that from at least May 2013 through July 2014, the defendants …
PRESS RELEASE

Owner/Operator Of GenPharm Pharmacy In Dallas Area Pleads Guilty

… and pleaded guilty to federal felony offenses stemming from her involvement in a “pill mill” operation, announced … (DEA) registration numbers, preventing Kigham and Frimpong from dispensing controlled substances and Dr. Andrews from issuing prescriptions for controlled substances. Kigham …
PRESS RELEASE

35 Years For Leader Of Major Marijuana Trafficking Operation

… firearms-all of which were purchased with proceeds derived from drug trafficking activities-and over $23,000 in U.S. … money laundering. By pleading guilty, Reyes admitted that from August 2006 to November 2015, he employed a network of … to traffic multiple thousands of kilograms of marijuana from El Paso to the Dumas, Texas area where it was …