United States Drug Enforcement Administration

ATLANTA – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia, in partnership with the Atlanta-Carolinas High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Program, have released an opioid public service announcement to remind Georgians that the opioid epidemic demands the urgent attention of everyone in our community. “Georgians unfortunately have...

ATLANTA – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia, in partnership with the Atlanta-Carolinas High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Program, has released an opioid public service announcement that reminds Georgians that the opioid epidemic demands the urgent attention of everyone in our community. “Fighting this epidemic...

WASHINGTON – Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex M. Azar III, announced today the largest ever health care fraud enforcement action involving 601 charged defendants across 58 federal districts, including 165 doctors, nurses and other licensed medical professionals, for their alleged participation...

(Washington) – The United States Drug Enforcement Administration, DEA Educational Foundation and Discovery Education awarded Porter Christensen of Pine View High School in Utah the grand prize for the annual Operation Prevention Video Challenge. Christensen’s public service announcement entitled “Waiting to Die” elicits the visceral experience of opioid misuse while...

(ATLANTA, Ga.) – Edgar Valdez-Villareal, a/k/a La Barbie, who was born in the U.S. and rose to be a high-level leader of Mexico’s Beltran-Leyva Cartel, has been sentenced to 49 years and one month in federal prison on charges of cocaine trafficking and money laundering. “Edgar Valdez-Villareal a/k/a “La Barbie”...

(CHARLOTTE, N.C.) – R. Andrew Murray, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, announced today that Dr. Michael Alson Smith, 65, a former Mt. Holly, N.C. family practice physician, appeared in federal court today and pleaded guilty to drug distribution, health care fraud, and aggravated identity theft charges...

(ATLANTA) – Victor Aguirre-Rodriguez was sentenced to federal prison for his role in a Mexican methamphetamine and cocaine trafficking organization that distributed approximately 100 kilograms of methamphetamine per week (valued at $1.75 million per week) in the Atlanta area. Aguirre-Rodriguez was convicted by a federal jury on February 16, 2018...

(NEW YORK) – DEA and federal prosecutors announced that Pakistani drug kingpin Shahbaz Khan has pled guilty to heroin trafficking in a Manhattan court room. Khan was the leader of a drug trafficking organization based in Afghanistan and Pakistan that produced and distributed massive quantities of heroin around the world...

RALEIGH, N.C. - Jorge Armando Ramirez-Lira, also known as Negro, Jorge Beltran-Carillo, and Edgar Nava-Baltazar, was sentenced to an additional eight years and one month in prison for importing heroin into the U.S. from Colombia and laundering the drug proceeds. “DEA is fully committed to tirelessly pursuing criminals who sell...

MACON - Charles E. Peeler, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia, announces that Eulalio Martinez, age 38, a citizen of Mexico residing in Alma, Georgia, has been found guilty of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine 4,923 grams of pure (Count 1) and Illegal (Count 2), following...