DEA Archived Press Releases

Press Releases before January 20, 2025
127 Results - Showing 41 to 50
PRESS RELEASE

Tampa Man Arrested for Possessing Fentanyl with the Intent to Distribute

TAMPA , Fla. –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announced the arrest of Perry Ivory Wims (37, Tampa) on a criminal complaint charging possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. Wims was arrested on March 9, 2023 and ordered detained pending the outcome of his case. According to the...
PRESS RELEASE

Armed Fentanyl Trafficker Sentenced to Life in Prison for Causing Fatal Overdose

TAMPA, Fla. – U.S. District Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell has sentenced Justin Kelly (36, New Port Richey) to concurrent terms of life in prison for conspiracy to distribute 40 grams of fentanyl resulting in death and distribution of fentanyl resulting in death, and 15 years’ imprisonment for three counts of...
PRESS RELEASE

Sixteen Individuals Plead Guilty in Drug Trafficking Conspiracy “Operation Titan Fall”

ORLANDO, Fla. – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that 16 individuals, charged in three (3) indictments, have all pleaded guilty to their respective roles in conspiring to distribute controlled substances, including fentanyl and cocaine, in the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) “Operation Titan Fall” investigation. This investigation yielded evidence...
PRESS RELEASE

Three Fentanyl Traffickers Sentenced to Federal Prison

ORLANDO, Fla. – U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza has sentenced Luis Omar Rosa Cotto (32, Orlando), Alejandro Acevedo Luna (34, Apopka), and Juan Carlos Garcia (38, Apopka) to federal prison for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. Luis Omar Rosa Cotto Pleaded guilty on July 12, 2022...
PRESS RELEASE

Drug Enforcement Administration Announces the Seizure of Over 379 Million Deadly Doses of Fentanyl in 2022

MIAMI – As 2022 comes to an end, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is announcing the seizure of over 50.6 million fentanyl-laced, fake prescription pills and more than 10,000 pounds of fentanyl powder this calendar year. The DEA Laboratory estimates that these seizures represent more than 379 million potentially deadly...
PRESS RELEASE

Gainesville Man Convicted of Drug Trafficking and Firearm Offense

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – A federal jury in Gainesville convicted Edwin Giovanny Mendoza-Verdugo, 20, of Sinaloa, Mexico, on one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, further finding Mendoza-Verdugo responsible for 40-400 grams of fentanyl, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. The...
PRESS RELEASE

Dark Web Drug Dealer Sentenced to 16 Years in Prison

MIAMI — Anton Peck, 29, of Boca Raton, Fla., has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks to 16 years in prison for conspiring to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. Peck previously pled guilty to one count of conspiring to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl...
PRESS RELEASE

Jury Convicts Armed Fentanyl Trafficker of Causing Fatal Overdose

TAMPA , F la. – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announced that a federal jury has found Justin Kelly (35, New Port Richey) guilty of conspiracy to distribute 40 grams of fentanyl resulting in death, distribution of fentanyl resulting in death, three counts of possession/distribution of fentanyl, and possessing...
PRESS RELEASE

DEA Miami Field Division Joins with Florida Families to Increase Awareness about the Dangers of Fentanyl

MIAMI – This week the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) hosted regional family summits across the country in support of those who have lost loved ones to fentanyl poisoning. This is the first undertaking of its kind for the DEA field divisions and builds off the momentum of this summer’s Inaugural...
PRESS RELEASE

Fort Myers Felon Sentenced to Fifteen Years in Federal Prison for Firearms and Drug Offenses

FORT MYERS, F l a . – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber sentenced Shauntavus Berklin (34, Fort Myers) to 15 years in federal prison for possessing firearms as a convicted felon and distributing fentanyl. The court also ordered Berklin to forfeit the firearms he illegally had possessed. Berklin had...