DEA Archived Press Releases

Press Releases before January 20, 2025
730 Results - Showing 1 to 10
PRESS RELEASE

U.S. Attorney's Office Secures Guilty Pleas in Albuquerque Fentanyl Case

ALBUQUERQUE – Two Albuquerque drug dealers pleaded guilty to federal charges after attempting to sell 30,000 fentanyl pills, containing approximately 3,200 grams of the drug, to an undercover law enforcement agent. According to court documents, on December 6, 2023, Miguel Antonio Ramirez, 23, and Isaiah Anthony Aragon, 24, conspired to...
PRESS RELEASE

Antelope Valley Man Faces New Charge Alleging He Knowingly Sold Fentanyl to Second Victim Who Died

LOS ANGELES – A Palmdale man already facing one charge of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death has been charged by federal grand jury indictment with an additional count of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death related to the death of a Palmdale man in August, the Justice Department announced...
PRESS RELEASE

Santa Clarita Man Charged with Distributing Opioid More Powerful than Fentanyl and Causing Victim’s Overdose Death

LOS ANGELES – A Santa Clarita man has been arraigned on an indictment alleging he distributed protonitazene – a novel synthetic opioid that is up to three times more powerful than fentanyl – which resulted in a victim’s fatal overdose this spring, the Justice Department announced today. Benjamin Anthony Collins...
PRESS RELEASE

DEA Hosts Local and State Agencies at the El Paso Intelligence Center 2024 Law Enforcement Partners Summit

El Paso, Texas – Today, as part of the 50th anniversary of the El Paso Intelligence Center (EPIC), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) hosted various local and state law enforcement agencies as part of the EPIC 2024 Law Enforcement Summit. These agencies, who came from various communities across the country...
PRESS RELEASE

Communities Nationwide Turn In Nearly 630,000 Pounds of Unneeded Medications on DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day

El Paso, Texas – On Oct. 26, DEA and over 4,400 law enforcement partners collected nearly 630,000 pounds of unused medications at 4,600 locations nationwide. The El Paso Division collected 1,657 pounds in West Texas and 3,393 pounds in New Mexico. This effort to empty medicine cabinets helps to prevent...
PRESS RELEASE

China-Based Chemical Company, Its Director and Senior Employees Indicted for Alleged Fentanyl Manufacturing and Distribution

LOS ANGELES – A chemical company, its director and three senior employees have been charged in a 13-count federal grand jury indictment alleging they sold deadly fentanyl precursor chemicals and xylazine – known as “tranq” – globally, fueling the fentanyl crisis in the United States, the Justice Department announced today...
PRESS RELEASE

U.S. Attorney's Office, DEA and HSI Announce Charges Against Fourteen Individuals in Major Drug Trafficking Conspiracy

ALBUQUERQUE – This week, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the U.S. Marshal Service, the Las Cruces Police Department, and the Doña Ana Sheriff’s Office, conducted a coordinated operation to dismantle a significant drug trafficking network in Las Cruces, New Mexico. The operation targeted 15...
PRESS RELEASE

U.S. Attorney's Office and DEA Announce Federal Charges Against Albuquerque Based Drug Trafficking Organization

ALBUQUERQUE – Five members of a drug trafficking organization based in Albuquerque have been charged in federal court with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine. Tomas Rubalcaba, 45, Joaquin Rubalcada, 40, and Humberto Gastelum, 65, appeared before a federal judge last week and will remain in custody pending...
PRESS RELEASE

DEA El Paso SAC Thorne-James to address local media

WHEN: Thursday October 24 at 10 a.m. MST. WHERE: Federal Justice Building, DEA Training Room Second Floor, 660 S. Mesa Hills Dr., El Paso TX 79912 WHAT: DEA Special Agent in Charge Towanda R. Thorne-James will discuss why the star on the mountain will shine red October 23-31. WHO: DEA...
PRESS RELEASE

16 Defendants Charged in Superseding Indictment Alleging Bulk Shipments of Cocaine to Canada, Four Murders

LOS ANGELES – A Canadian former Olympic snowboarder and 15 other defendants have been charged in a 16-count superseding indictment for allegedly running and participating in a transnational drug trafficking operation that routinely shipped hundreds of kilograms of cocaine, from Colombia, through Mexico and Southern California, to Canada and other...