United States Drug Enforcement Administration

(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...

(CHICAGO) - Two suburban Chicago residents have been charged with federal drug offenses for illegally selling fentanyl or fentanyl precursors over the internet, and authorities have seized their websites. Liangfu “Larry” Huang used his company, Ark Pharm Inc., to sell controlled substances – including a fentanyl precursor – over the...

CHICAGO - An Elmwood Park man has been charged with federal drug offenses for allegedly importing a fentanyl analogue from China to the Chicago area. Rolando Estrada, 42, imported furanyl fentanyl from China in the summer of 2016, according to an indictment returned this week in federal court in Chicago...

CHICAGO - Today, Special Agent in Charge Brian M. McKnight, along with United States Attorney Gregory G. Brooker announced the sentencing of Marco Antonio Avila, 30, to 26 years in prison for his leadership role in a Rochester-based methamphetamine and cocaine distribution organization. AVILA, who pleaded guilty on May 30...

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...

RALEIGH, N.C. - The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Robert J. Higdon, Jr., announces the arrest of Akram Abdel-Aziz, 50, on drug related charges. Abdel-Aziz is charged in a criminal complaint with the possession with intent to distribute a quantity of 5F-ADB, a synthetic cannabinoid...

CHICAGO - A federal judge in Chicago has sentenced a suburban man to 16 years in prison for leading a Chicago-area cell of an international drug trafficking organization. Jesus Salgado ran a stash house in Bensenville where heroin and cash from drug sales were stored. He also sold drugs in...