DEA Archived Press Releases

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

Defendant Admits Role in Fatal Fentanyl Overdose of Carlsbad Woman

San Diego – Bryan Kim Bullard pleaded guilty in federal court today to distributing the fentanyl that resulted in the death of a 25-year-old Carlsbad woman. According to the plea agreement, on September 9, 2023, Bullard’s co-defendant, Cameron William Fulston, reached out to the victim, identified in court records as...
PRESS RELEASE

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

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- On Oct. 26, DEA and over 4,400 law enforcement partners collected nearly 630,000 pounds of unused medications at 4,600 locations nationwide. This effort to empty medicine cabinets helps to prevent drug misuse before it starts. Locally, the Louisville Field Division, which covers Kentucky, Tennessee and West Virginia...
PRESS RELEASE

DEA Hosts the 27th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday to Remove Unneeded Medications from Homes

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- The Drug Enforcement Administration, in collaboration with more than 4,000 law enforcement partners across the country, will host the 27th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day this Saturday, October 26, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. National Prescription Drug Take Back Day encourages the safe and anonymous...
PRESS RELEASE

Louisville’s Big Four Bridge turns red to honor National Red Ribbon Week

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- National Red Ribbon Week, the nation’s longest-running drug prevention program, kicks off today, Wednesday, October 23rd. To mark the occasion, Louisville’s Big Four Bridge will be illuminated in red lights this evening. “The Drug Enforcement Administration would like to thank the Waterfront Development Corporation for helping us...
PRESS RELEASE

OptumRx Agrees to Pay $20M to Resolve Allegations that It Filled Opioid Prescriptions in Violation of the Controlled Substances Act

SAN DIEGO – OptumRx Inc., a prescription drug benefit provider, has agreed to pay $20 million to resolve allegations that it improperly filled certain opioid prescriptions in violation of the Controlled Substances Act. The settlement resolves an investigation initiated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) into whether, between April 2013...
PRESS RELEASE

Kanawha County Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Fentanyl Crime

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Timothy Brian Jackson, 44, of South Charleston, was sentenced to 14 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl. Jackson admitted that he created and intended to distribute fake oxycodone pills that actually contained fentanyl...
PRESS RELEASE

Two Defendants Charged with Murder in Fatal Pacific Beach Fentanyl Overdose

San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan announced today that two individuals have been charged with murder in connection with the fentanyl overdose death of 31-year-old Connor Gerhart. Defendants Sheri Cavanaugh, 59, and her co-conspirator, Micah Seau, 31, are both charged with murder and conspiracy to commit a crime. The...
PRESS RELEASE

Palomar Hospital Pays $250,000 for Diverting Fentanyl

SAN DIEGO – Palomar Health, a California public health care district located in San Diego County, has paid $250,000 to resolve allegations of diversion of fentanyl from one of its facilities and failure to keep accurate records for fentanyl. Palomar Health is California’s largest health care district, with campuses in...
PRESS RELEASE

Former U.S. Border Patrol Agent Sentenced to 87 Months in Prison for Attempting to Distribute Methamphetamine and Receiving Bribes

SAN DIEG O - Former U.S. Border Patrol Agent Hector Hernandez, who admitted that he took bribes to smuggle methamphetamine and people across the U.S.-Mexico border while on duty, was sentenced in federal court today to 87-months in prison. Hernandez pleaded guilty in January, admitting that he agreed to use...
PRESS RELEASE

DEA and its Partners Remove More than 670,000 Pounds of Unused Medications from Communities Nationwide

Louisville, Ky. – DEA and its local law enforcement partners collected 670,136 pounds of unused medications during the 26th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on April 27, 2024. Locally, the Louisville Field Division, which covers Kentucky, Tennessee, and West Virginia, collected over 45,000 pounds between 273 sites. Tennessee collected...